South African Grammy-winning singer Tyla will no longer perform in Lagos during her forthcoming global tour after the Nigerian stop was removed from the updated schedule, a development that comes amid renewed diplomatic tensions between Nigeria and South Africa over recent xenophobic incidents.
The 24-year-old singer had on Monday unveiled a 34-city world tour to promote her newly released album, APOP, with Lagos, Johannesburg and Cape Town initially listed among the destinations. However, an updated itinerary released on Friday excluded Lagos, while the South African dates remained unchanged. Neither Tyla nor her management has offered an official explanation for the change.
The cancellation follows growing public outrage in Nigeria over reports of anti-migrant protests and alleged xenophobic attacks targeting foreign nationals, including Nigerians, in parts of South Africa.
The incidents have prompted diplomatic engagement between both countries as authorities work to address concerns over the safety of Nigerians living in South Africa. Reports also indicate that thousands of foreign nationals, including Nigerians, have departed South Africa through organised repatriation flights.
Public reaction intensified after an online petition demanding that Tyla be barred from entering Nigeria until the attacks ceased attracted thousands of signatures. Many Nigerians also took to social media, urging the singer to cancel her planned performance and criticising her for not publicly condemning the reported attacks.
Tyla has not publicly commented on either the controversy or the removal of Lagos from her tour schedule.
