South African singer Tyla has quietly removed Lagos from her A-Pop World Tour schedule, days after Nigerians launched a boycott campaign over xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
The Grammy winner had announced a December 22 Lagos stop as part of the 29-city tour, which kicks off in Paris on October 12 and wraps up with shows in Cape Town and Johannesburg in early January. Neither Tyla nor her management has explained the removal or confirmed the show is cancelled outright.
The backlash stemmed from renewed anger over the treatment of Nigerians and other Africans in South Africa, including the reported death of Nigerian national Chika Ibeh. Critics argued that Tyla, while not linked to the attacks, was benefiting from Nigeria’s music market and hospitality while South African authorities allegedly denied Ayra Starr a visa.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan was among the officials who called on Nigeria’s immigration service to reciprocate by denying Tyla entry, the same treatment Ayra Starr reportedly faced. Social commentator VeryDarkMan also warned promoters against staging the show, insisting it would not go ahead.
Not everyone backed the boycott. Presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore publicly defended Tyla, arguing that artists shouldn’t be held responsible for their governments’ failures. A Lagos law firm, DACO LP Africa, echoed that view, urging Nigerians to direct their anger at both governments rather than at the singer.
Tyla has maintained ties with Nigeria in the past, performing in Lagos during the 2024 “Detty December” season and collaborating with Ayra Starr. Whether the Lagos date returns to her schedule remains unclear.
READ ALSO:
- Former Kebbi Deputy Governor, Ibrahim Aliyu, Is Dead
- Keyamo: More Airlines Will Keep Forcing Down Airfares
- RMD, Ayra Starr join star-studded cast in ‘Children of Blood and Bone’ trailer
- Amid Boycott Threats, Tyla Removes Lagos Show From A-Pop Tour Schedule
- Otedola buys N222bn more FirstHoldCo shares, stake hits 26%
