Nigeria has been removed from South African singer Tyla’s forthcoming world tour itinerary, days after Lagos was included in the initial announcement. No official reason was given, but the decision follows a Nigerian petition and online calls for a boycott over anti-migrant sentiment and alleged xenophobic violence in South Africa, highlighting how strained relations are affecting cultural events.

Tyla, 24, had originally listed 34 cities for the tour supporting her second album, A*POP, including Lagos, Johannesburg and Cape Town. The petition calling for her exclusion from Nigeria gained thousands of signatures, while critics accused her of not speaking publicly about the issue; she had not responded to the BBC. Other South African entertainers, including Trevor Noah, have also faced backlash, and the South African government says more than 900 people were arrested after recent protests.