Nigerian Nobel laureate and playwright Professor Wole Soyinka has revealed that the United States government has revoked his visa, effectively barring him from entering the country and restricting the privileges typically accorded to international laureates.
Speaking at a media briefing held at Kongi’s Harvest Gallery, his Lagos residence, Soyinka disclosed that he received a letter from the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos requesting him to submit his passport for the physical cancellation of his visa.
The letter, dated October 23, 2025, stated that “additional information became available” after the visa was originally issued.
“I have no visa; I am banned, obviously, from the United States,” Soyinka told reporters. “It is necessary for me to hold this conference so that those expecting me for events in the U.S. will know not to waste their time. If you want to see me, you know where to find me.”
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The U.S. Embassy in Nigeria has yet to issue an official statement on the development.
The incident follows Soyinka’s earlier decision to decline an invitation from the U.S. Consulate for a visa reinterview scheduled on September 11, a date he described as “strange and inappropriate” given its historical significance.
“At first, I thought it was advance-fee fraud because I had never received that kind of letter from any embassy,” Soyinka remarked.
“To me, 9/11 should be a day of mourning, of atonement by the U.S. Consulate, not a day for summoning people to take away their visas.”
Soyinka’s revoked visa was a B1/B2 non-immigrant permit, which allows for temporary travel to the U.S. for business or tourism. In July 2025, the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria announced changes to its visa policy, reducing non-immigrant visas from up to five years of multiple entries to single-entry, three-month permits.
The 1986 Nobel Prize in Literature winner made it clear he would not seek another U.S. visa.
“The question of going to such an interview is totally out of consideration,” he stated, reaffirming his decision not to reapply.
Soyinka previously renounced his U.S. green card in 2016 following the election of Donald Trump, citing ideological differences and concerns over America’s political direction.
He described the latest visa revocation as reminiscent of “Idi Amin in Whiteface,” likening the decision to authoritarianism masked by diplomacy.
Despite the restriction, Soyinka emphasized his continued commitment to human rights advocacy, freedom of expression, and global dialogue, saying his principles remain unchanged regardless of his travel status.
