Xenophobia: Tyla Removes Lagos From World Tour Schedule as Boycott Calls Intensify

South African music star Tyla has removed Lagos from the itinerary of her A*POP World Tour, days after calls mounted for Nigerians to boycott her planned concert over renewed allegations of xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa.

As of Thursday, the Lagos stop scheduled for 22nd December 2026 no longer appeared on the Grammy winner's official tour schedule.

Neither Tyla nor her management has issued a statement explaining the change, and organisers have not confirmed whether the show has been canceled or postponed.

The development follows a wave of criticism that erupted after Tyla announced her world tour earlier this week, with Lagos initially listed as the only Nigerian stop before the tour concluded with performances in Cape Town and Johannesburg in January.

Much of the backlash stemmed from renewed outrage over reports of attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.

Social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, warned concert promoters against bringing Tyla to Nigeria, saying the event should not go ahead while Nigerians were allegedly being attacked and forced out of South Africa.

Several other Nigerians echoed the call online, urging fans to boycott the concert as a symbolic protest against xenophobia. Social media platforms were flooded with messages insisting that hosting the South African singer at such a time would send the wrong signal.

Not everyone supported the campaign.

Human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore argued that Tyla should not be held personally responsible for the actions of others.

He urged Nigerians to separate politics from entertainment, maintaining that the singer should still be free to perform in the country.

The controversy also revived discussion around Chidimma Adetshina, the former Miss Universe Nigeria of Nigerian and South African heritage, whose legal battle over her nationality and residency in South Africa became a flashpoint in tensions between the two countries.

Tyla has not publicly commented on the boycott campaign or the broader xenophobia debate.

Her revised tour schedule still ends with performances in Cape Town and Johannesburg in January, while fans in Nigeria continue to await clarification on the fate of the Lagos show.