US govt revokes Wole Soyinka’s visa
The visa of Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka has been revoked by the United States Government, making it impossible for the litterateur to travel to the US in the meantime.
Soyinka who expressed surprise at the development stated that he was unaware of any wrongdoing that could have warranted the action by the US Government, as the reason for the visa revocation remained unclear.
He made the disclosure in a media parley at Kongi’s Harvest Gallery, Freedom Park, Lagos Island, in Lagos State.
Soyinka remarked during the parley: “It is necessary for me to hold this conference so that people in the United States who are expecting me for this event or that event do not waste their time.
“I have no visa; I am banned, obviously, from the United States. And if you want to see me, you know where to find me.”
The Nobel Laureate said that the US Consulate informed him of the revocation in a letter dated October 23, 2025.
The letter which was issued by the NIV Section of the Consulate read in part: “This letter serves as official notification by the United States Consulate General in Lagos that the nonimmigrant visa listed below has been revoked pursuant to the authority contained in U.S. Department of State regulations.
Soyinka said he was still confused about the development. “I’m still looking into my past history… I don’t have any past criminal record or even a felony or misdemeanour to qualify for the revocation.
“I’ve started looking back—have I ever misbehaved toward the United States of America? Do I have a history? Have I been convicted? Have I gone against the law anywhere?”, the Nobel Laurette wondered aloud.
In a September 10 2025 PM News report, Soyinka, reacting to an invitation sent by the American Consulate to Nigerians holding B1/B2 visas, had said he would not honour an invitation by the US Consulate in Nigeria for a visa re-interview, scheduled for Thursday September 11.
Soyinka told PM News in the interview: “I would like to begin by stressing the fact that, for me, this is not a personal issue. I have no idea how you got to know. By the way, I also received the letter, which at first I thought was fake. I thought it came from scammers who prey on those eager to get visas elsewhere, promising to deliver them for a certain amount. I thought they had simply picked my name among others, knowing there was a list of invitees.
“So, at first, I thought it was advance-fee fraud because I had never received that kind of letter from that or any other embassy. I even thought that maybe AI had been generating generic letters. It was very strange.
“So, by the time I came to terms with the fact that the letter was genuine, my mind went to my relationship with individual ambassadors, Consuls General, and Cultural Attachés. As you know, it has always been a courteous relationship.”
It is on record that the current US administration under the leadership of President Donald Trump is strict on illegal immigration to the United States, and has been at the vanguard of anti-open border policies.
The current visa re-interview policy for Nigerian immigrants which seemed not to have spared even a reputable Nobel Laureate like Prof Wole Soyinka bears testament to Trump’s immigration stance.
Some persons have argued however, that while illegal immigration is unwelcome globally, certain foreign policies should be executed with discretion and diplomacy, especially when they affect honorable and high-profile individuals.
