Nigeria’s Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has revealed that the United States government has revoked his entry visa, preventing him from travelling to the country until further notice.
Speaking at a press briefing held at Kongi’s Harvest Gallery, Freedom Park, Lagos, on Tuesday, Soyinka said he received formal notification from the U.S. Consulate in Lagos but remains unaware of any reason for the action.
“It is necessary for me to hold this conference so that people in the United States who are expecting me for certain events do not waste their time.
I have no visa; I am banned, obviously, from the United States. If you want to see me, you know where to find me,”
Soyinka told journalists.
According to him, the consulate’s letter—dated October 23, 2025—formally communicated the decision, citing U.S. Department of State regulations. The revocation concerns his B1/B2 visa, a temporary non-immigrant category for business and tourism purposes.
Soyinka expressed disbelief and confusion over the decision, insisting he has no criminal or immigration record that could justify such action.
“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?” he asked.
The development follows an earlier report in September 2025 that Soyinka declined a U.S. consulate invitation for a visa re-interview. At the time, he described the letter as “suspicious,” initially suspecting it to be a scam or AI-generated correspondence, before confirming its authenticity.
Soyinka, who has maintained long-standing cultural and diplomatic ties with several U.S. institutions, said he remains puzzled by the revocation but views it as “a bureaucratic matter rather than a personal issue.”
The U.S. Consulate has not yet issued a public statement clarifying the reason behind the action.
