Nigeria: Tyla's Lagos Concert Disappears From World Tour Amid Boycott Calls

What the report says

AllAfrica, carrying a Premium Times report from Abuja, says South African singer Tyla’s planned Lagos concert has been removed from the public schedule for her APOP World Tour after several days of online criticism and boycott appeals in Nigeria. Premium Times reported that its Friday check of the tour’s official website found the Lagos stop missing from the 34-city itinerary. The singer, her team and concert organisers had not publicly clarified whether the show was cancelled, postponed or temporarily delisted.

The Lagos performance had been announced for 22 December 2026 and was expected to be Tyla’s only Nigerian stop, as well as the tour’s first African date before scheduled concerts in Cape Town on 4 January and Johannesburg on 9 January 2027. Those South African dates remained listed, according to the report. The tour is linked to Tyla’s sophomore album, APOP, released on 24 July, and is due to start in Paris on 12 October before continuing through Europe, the UK and North America.

Premium Times connected the controversy to renewed Nigerian concern over xenophobia and the treatment of Nigerians in South Africa. The report cited recent anti-immigration protests, raids affecting migrant-owned shops, and the death of Nigerian national Chika Ibeh during a South African Police Service operation in Cape Town on 23 July. South Africa’s police watchdog, IPID, is investigating, and Nigeria’s government has sought a full inquiry.

The boycott calls drew support from some Nigerian online figures, while others argued Tyla should not be blamed for actions of South African authorities. The dispute also highlights the close music links between both countries, including collaborations involving Nigerian and South African artists, even as diplomatic and public tensions persist.