A growing number of Nigerian celebrities and social media personalities have voiced opposition to South African singer Tyla’s planned concert in Lagos, linking their stance to renewed concerns over xenophobic attacks against Nigerians and other African migrants in South Africa.
The online campaign, which has gained traction across X, Instagram and other social media platforms, emerged shortly after the announcement of the Grammy-winning singer’s scheduled performance in Lagos later this year.
Many of those supporting the campaign argue that the concert should not go ahead, claiming South Africa has a history of xenophobic violence against foreign nationals, including Nigerians. Some also accused Tyla of remaining silent on the attacks.
Broadcaster Do2dtun was among the public figures who criticised the planned event, arguing that Nigerians should take a firm stand over the treatment of their compatriots in South Africa.
Former Big Brother Naija housemate Pere Egbi also joined the conversation, urging the Nigeria Immigration Service to deny visas to Tyla and members of her team.
Author and social commentator Solomon Buchi questioned the timing of the concert, saying he believed the singer should have publicly condemned xenophobic attacks before planning a performance in Nigeria.
Other content creators, including Sea King, Izzy Ogbeide and D English Alhaji, also expressed opposition to the event, urging Nigerians to boycott the concert.
One comment, however, went further by encouraging violence against people who might attend the event.
The criticism comes against the backdrop of longstanding tensions over recurring xenophobic attacks in South Africa, incidents that have repeatedly strained relations between citizens of both countries and sparked diplomatic discussions over the years.
As of the time of publication, Tyla has not publicly responded to the campaign or the criticism surrounding her proposed Lagos concert.
It also remains unclear whether the organisers intend to make any changes to the event in response to the growing backlash.