South African Grammy award-winning artist Tyla Laura Seethal, professionally known as Tyla, has struck Lagos from her APOP World Tour schedule. This decision follows growing pressure from Nigerians who demanded a boycott of her performance due to ongoing xenophobic violence against Nigerians in South Africa.
As of Friday, the singer’s official website confirmed the removal of the December 22 Lagos date. While her appearances in Europe, North America, and South Africa remain intact, Nigeria is no longer on the roster. This change occurred shortly after she had confirmed Lagos as the sole Nigerian venue for her tour.
The announcement had sparked intense online debate. Critics argued that South African artists should not perform in Nigeria given the hostile environment Nigerians face in South Africa. Conversely, some felt it was unfair to blame artists for regional political tensions. Political figure Omoyele Sowore defended the singer, urging Nigerians to focus their frustrations on government entities rather than penalizing an entertainer. However, activist Martins Otse, known as VeryDarkMan, publicly opposed the show and threatened to organize a protest to prevent the concert from proceeding.
The tensions are linked to heightened anxiety regarding the safety of Nigerians in South Africa, which was further aggravated by recent reports of violence and the death of Nigerian national Chika Ibe in Cape Town.
