South African singer Tyla has removed Nigeria from the itinerary of her upcoming world tour, days after announcing the concert schedule.
The Grammy-winning artiste unveiled the tour on Monday following the release of her second album, APOP, with the initial list featuring 34 cities, including Lagos, Johannesburg and Cape Town.
However, an updated schedule released on Friday no longer included Lagos, with no official explanation provided for the change.
The development comes amid growing calls in Nigeria for the 24-year-old singer to cancel her planned Nigerian performance over rising tensions linked to anti-migrant sentiments in South Africa.
Relations between Nigeria and South Africa have worsened following allegations of xenophobic attacks targeting Nigerians and other foreign nationals in South Africa.
Nigerian authorities and other African countries have criticised Pretoria for what they describe as inadequate measures to protect migrants.
The situation has also triggered protests in South Africa demanding the removal of undocumented migrants, leading to the departure of thousands of foreigners, including Nigerians, through voluntary repatriation programmes.
Although diplomatic engagements between both countries have continued, the controversy has extended beyond government discussions.
An online petition titled “Ban Tyla from entering Nigeria until xenophobic attacks stop in South Africa” was launched on Wednesday and has attracted thousands of signatures.
Nigerians have also flooded Tyla’s social media pages, urging her not to perform in the country and criticising her for not publicly addressing the protests in South Africa.
The singer has yet to respond to requests for comments on the controversy.
Tyla is not the only South African public figure facing criticism over perceived silence on the issue.
Comedian Trevor Noah recently attracted backlash after featuring in a promotional campaign for the Tourism Business Council of South Africa.
Critics accused him of promoting the country’s tourism image without speaking out against xenophobic sentiments, while some users added comments highlighting concerns over South Africa’s treatment of foreign nationals.
The South African government has rejected accusations that it tolerates xenophobia, insisting that it acts against individuals who break the law.
Authorities said more than 900 people were arrested following recent protests, while maintaining that the country has the right to regulate migration.
