Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has called on the Federal Government to review visa approvals for South African artistes and their entourages, saying Nigeria should adopt a reciprocal approach if its citizens continue to face unfair treatment in South Africa.
The Kogi Central lawmaker said Nigeria’s foreign policy must be guided by fairness and mutual respect, insisting that discriminatory actions against Nigerians abroad should attract an appropriate response.
She made the call in a statement issued on Friday, amid the controversy surrounding South African music star, Tyla’s decision to remove Lagos from the December 22 leg of her APOP World Tour, following widespread boycott calls by Nigerians over renewed concerns about xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
Akpoti-Uduaghan said the Federal Government and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) should review visa applications submitted by South African artistes and members of their teams in line with the diplomatic principle of reciprocity.
“I call on the Nigeria Immigration Service and the Federal Government of Nigeria to review the visa applications of South African artistes and their entourages in accordance with the principle of reciprocity in foreign policy,” she said.
The Senator said the move became necessary following reports that Nigerian singer, Ayra Starr, and members of her team were allegedly denied entry visas to South Africa, forcing the cancellation of their scheduled engagements.
She argued that if the reports are confirmed, Nigeria should respond with equivalent measures until Nigerians are treated fairly by South African authorities.
“If it is confirmed that our Nigerian artiste, Ayra Starr and her team were previously denied entry visas to South Africa, leading to the cancellation of their engagements, then Nigeria should respond with equivalent measures until Nigerian citizens and artistes are accorded fair and respectful treatment,” she stated.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, however, stressed that her position was not directed at Tyla personally or against South African entertainers as individuals.
“This is not a call against Tyla as an individual. Rather, it is a call for Nigeria to uphold the principle of mutual respect that underpins international relations,” she explained.
Describing reciprocity as a well-established diplomatic principle, the Senator maintained that Nigeria must demonstrate that discriminatory treatment of its citizens abroad would not go unanswered.
“When our citizens face discriminatory or unjust treatment abroad, Nigeria must demonstrate that such actions carry corresponding consequences,” she said.
She further urged the Federal Government to ensure that Nigeria’s foreign policy protects the dignity of its citizens wherever they may be.
“Our foreign policy should protect the dignity of Nigerians everywhere and ensure that respect between nations is mutual, not one-sided,” she added.
The statement comes amid heightened debate over Tyla’s cancelled Lagos concert. Earlier, the Grammy-winning South African singer removed Lagos from the itinerary of her APOP World Tour, while retaining all other scheduled performances across Europe, North America and South Africa. As of the time of the announcement, neither Tyla nor her management had explained why the Lagos date was removed, while the concert promoters had yet to clarify whether the event had been cancelled or postponed.
The controversy intensified after activist, Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, threatened to mobilise members of his Ratel Movement to stop the concert from holding, arguing that South African entertainers should not be welcomed in Nigeria while Nigerians allegedly continue to face xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
However, African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, opposed the boycott campaign, saying Tyla should not be blamed for the actions of others. He urged Nigerians to channel their grievances toward the appropriate South African authorities rather than target an individual artiste.
The latest development has sparked fresh reactions on social media, with many Nigerians divided over whether the country should adopt tougher reciprocal visa measures against South African nationals or continue to separate diplomatic disputes from cultural and entertainment exchanges.