Nigerians split on whether to shun South African singer Tyla's upcoming show in Lagos

Nigerians on social media are sharply divided over the prospect of boycotting a concert by South African singer Tyla, scheduled to take place in Lagos, with many drawing a connection between the event and the recent surge in outrage over alleged xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa.

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The controversy erupted after Tyla announced her APOP World Tour, which includes a performance in Lagos on December 22, followed by concerts in Cape Town on January 4 and Johannesburg on January 9, sparking a heated debate among social media users.

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Prior to the backlash, Tyla had unveiled the tour schedule on Monday, revealing a lineup of performances across Europe, North America, Nigeria, and South Africa, as reported by PUNCH Online.

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The announcement, however, was met with fierce criticism on X, with some users arguing that the concert should not proceed while Nigerians continue to face alleged attacks in South Africa, with #Miz_Fey stating, “Any Nigerian who attends Tyla’s concert in Lagos is just as useless as the government btw.”

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Another user, #FtoniaUc, expressed strong opposition to the concert, saying, “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.

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#FtoniaUc further added, “It’s the audacity for me!! Any Nigerian buying that ticket and even the organiser should be ashamed.”

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#BighomieRay also urged Nigerians to reject the concert, stating, “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.”

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X user #MetOrjiChukwudi called for a peaceful boycott, saying, “I call on Nigerians to peacefully boycott Tyla’s performance as a symbolic stand for justice, accountability, and the protection of all Africans.

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#MetOrjiChukwudi further explained, “As long as xenophobia and Afrophobia continue to threaten the lives of Africans, including Nigerians, in South Africa, I believe this is not the right time to support South African entertainment in Nigeria.”

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Similarly, #Phatbabeluuu posted, “Tyla having a show in Lagos after the whole xenophobia shit show from her country, shows one thing, Nigerians don’t stand for anything.”

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Some users criticized Tyla for not publicly addressing alleged attacks on Nigerians, with #Momobtw__ writing, “I’ve never seen Tyla speak up against xenophobia, but sure, let’s do a tour stop in Lagos.”

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Referencing a widely shared video alleging the death of a Nigerian in police custody in South Africa, #callmehonneybee posted, “Mind you this is what their police officers are doing to our brothers, literally killing them like flies in their own home.”

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However, not all users supported the boycott, with #Emmanuel1135482 arguing that Nigerians’ affection for Tyla should not be confused with support for xenophobia, saying, “Nigerians get love still get hate at the same time, na the love for Tyla no be for South Africans.”

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X user #cea9275 dismissed the boycott calls, stating, “You’re fighting an illogical battle, political issues should never stop a musician from performing in the said country.”

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#cea9275 further questioned, “And if you’re really passionate about this issue as you appear, why don’t you condemn Nigerian artists featuring SA artistes?”

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#DoyeenOfLagos also questioned why responsibility was being placed on the government instead of concert organisers and attendees, writing, “We are quick to blame govt, make govt come wash our bumbum after pooing? No be some people organise the event? No be some go attend the event? Na govt forced them to?

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The debate comes amid renewed concerns over the treatment of Nigerians in South Africa, following reports of alleged xenophobic attacks and the death of Nigerian national Chika Ibe in Cape Town, an incident that has continued to generate reactions across social media.