- Nigerians on social media are pushing to boycott South African singer Tyla’s planned Lagos concert scheduled for December 22
- The backlash is tied to renewed outrage over alleged xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa, including the death of Chika Ibe in Cape Town
- Not all Nigerians support the boycott, with some arguing that political issues should not stop a musician from performing
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South African Grammy-winning singer Tyla is facing fierce pushback from Nigerians online after announcing a Lagos stop on her APOP World Tour, with many demanding a boycott over alleged xenophobic treatment of Nigerians in South Africa.
The tour, which includes performances across Europe and North America, is scheduled to touch down in Lagos on December 22, before wrapping up with dates in Cape Town on January 4 and Johannesburg on January 9.
The announcement landed badly with a section of Nigerian social media users, who quickly connected the event to ongoing concerns about the safety of Nigerians living in South Africa.
Calls to Boycott Tyla’s Lagos Show
The backlash played out largely on X, where users rallied behind the idea of rejecting the concert as a form of protest, Punch reports.
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One user, @Miz_Fey, was blunt: “Any Nigerian who attends Tyla’s concert in Lagos is just as useless as the government btw.”
@FtoniaUc went further, insisting no South African artist should be welcomed in Nigeria under the current circumstances.
“I don’t care what y’all say, with what went down and what is going down in South Africa against Nigerians, no South African artists should be hosting a concert or show in Nigeria. It’s the audacity for me!!” the user wrote, adding that both ticket buyers and event organisers “should be ashamed.”
@BighomieRay also called on Nigerians to reject the concert, pointing to the death of a Nigerian national in South Africa.
“If this concert hold successfully in Nigeria, then Nigerians are bunch of idiots. Go and see what SA police are doing to Nigerians. They recently killed a Nigerian. None of them have spoken against it,” the user posted.
@MetOrjiChukwudi framed his stance as a call for symbolic solidarity.
“I call on Nigerians to peacefully boycott Tyla’s performance as a symbolic stand for justice, accountability, and the protection of all Africans,” he wrote.
Several users also criticised Tyla personally for staying silent on the xenophobia issue. @Momobtw__ wrote:
“I’ve never seen Tyla speak up against xenophobia. But sure, let’s do a tour stop in Lagos.”
Divided Opinions on the Boycott
Not everyone agreed. @Emmanuel1135482 argued that Nigerians’ affection for Tyla is personal, not political.
“Nigerians get love still get hate at the same time. Na the love for Tyla no be for South Africans,” the user wrote.
@cea9275 dismissed the campaign entirely, arguing, “You’re fighting an illogical battle, political issues should never stop a musician from performing in the said country.”
@DoyeenOfLagos shifted the conversation away from the government, questioning why individuals were not holding themselves and event organisers accountable instead.
The controversy comes against the backdrop of the reported death of Nigerian national Chika Ibe in Cape Town, an incident that reignited anger among Nigerians about how their compatriots are treated in South Africa.
Cardi B defends Tyla
Meanwhile, Legit.ngalso reported that US rapper Cardi B defended Tyla following the recent social media bullying.
Viewers felt Tyla was rude towards Halle Bailey for asking her to hold her award. Instead, Cardi observed that she was asking Lil Nas X to hold her award because he was the
Chinasa Afigbo (Entertainment Editor)Chinasa Afigbo is a pop culture/music journalist and content writer with over four years of experience in other mainstream media organisations, including Vanguard Media and Guardian Life. She holds a degree in Information Management Technology from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO). She also moved on to pursue a program in media and communications. Chinasa has also been published in other Intl journals, like The African Report. Reach her at: chinasa.afigbo@corp.legit.ng.
