South African music star Tyla’s planned concert in Lagos has triggered mixed reactions among Nigerians, with some social media users calling for a boycott over renewed xenophobic attacks against Nigerians and other African migrants in South Africa.

The Grammy-winning singer announced Lagos as one of the stops on her APOP World Tour. She is scheduled to perform in the city on December 22, 2026, before concluding the tour with shows in Cape Town on January 4 and Johannesburg on January 9.

Following the announcement, some Nigerians took to social media to argue that South African entertainers should not continue to receive strong support in Nigeria while Nigerians living in South Africa face violence, intimidation and alleged mistreatment.

According to The Punch, some users called for a peaceful boycott of Tyla’s concert as a symbolic protest against xenophobia. Others criticised prominent South African entertainers, including Tyla, for allegedly failing to speak publicly against attacks on foreign African nationals.

Some critics said attending the concert would suggest that Nigerians were unwilling to take a firm position against the treatment of their compatriots abroad. They also urged Nigerian concert organisers and entertainment promoters to reconsider hosting South African artists until stronger action is taken to protect Nigerians in South Africa.

However, other Nigerians opposed the boycott calls, arguing that Tyla should not be held personally responsible for the actions of violent individuals or the failures of South African authorities.

They maintained that political and diplomatic disputes should not prevent musicians from performing in other African countries. Some also warned that targeting an artist solely because of her nationality could promote the same collective hostility that opponents of xenophobia are seeking to condemn.

The controversy comes amid growing diplomatic tension between Nigeria and South Africa over recurring attacks on foreign nationals.

Nigeria’s government recently urged South African authorities to do more to stop what it described as persistent xenophobic and “Afrophobic” attacks against Nigerians and other Africans.

Nigerian officials said at least 1,490 citizens had been evacuated from South Africa following the latest violence. The government also claimed that at least 98 Nigerians had been killed in xenophobic attacks since 2022.

South Africa’s government has condemned xenophobia, racism and discrimination, insisting that law enforcement agencies have been directed to protect citizens, residents and visitors. President Cyril Ramaphosa has also warned South Africans not to allow concerns about illegal migration to develop into prejudice against fellow Africans.

As debate continues, attention may now turn to whether Tyla will address the concerns before her scheduled Lagos appearance.

The disagreement also raises broader questions about whether entertainment should be separated from diplomatic disputes and human-rights concerns, or whether influential African artists have a responsibility to speak against injustice affecting people across the continent