Tyla drops Lagos from APOP world tour after boycott calls

Tyla has removed Lagos from the schedule of her APOP World Tour after boycott calls in Nigeria over renewed reports of xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa.

The Lagos concert had been listed for December 22, but the updated tour schedule no longer includes Nigeria. The remaining dates still cover Europe, North America and South Africa, including Cape Town on January 4 and Johannesburg on January 9.

The change followed a wave of reactions from Nigerians on social media after the South African singer first announced Lagos as the only Nigerian stop on the tour. Some users argued that South African entertainers should not perform in Nigeria while attacks on Nigerians in South Africa remained a public issue.

Others opposed the boycott, saying musicians should not be blamed for political or social disputes between both countries. Activist Omoyele Sowore was among those who criticised attempts to blame Tyla for xenophobic incidents.

The argument intensified after Martins Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan, threatened to mobilise his supporters to stop the Lagos concert if it went ahead. Tyla and her management had not publicly responded to the criticism as of Friday morning.

The removal turns what began as a tour announcement into another flashpoint in Nigeria-South Africa relations, where public anger over attacks on migrants often spills into entertainment and business ties.

Sources: Punch, Vanguard, Daily Post