Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka announced on Tuesday that the United States has revoked his visa, effectively barring him from entering the country for now.
Soyinka made the disclosure during a media parley at Kongi’s Harvest Gallery, Freedom Park, Lagos Island, saying he was unaware of any reason for the revocation.
“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,” he told journalists. “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.”
According to Soyinka, the US Consulate in Lagos informed him of the decision in a letter dated October 23, 2025. The document, issued by the Non-Immigrant Visa (NIV) Section, stated: “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as official notification by the United States Consulate General in Lagos that the nonimmigrant visa listed below has been revoked pursuant to the authority contained in US Department of State regulations.”
Soyinka said he was “still in the dark” about the reasons behind the move, stressing that he has never had any criminal record or history of misconduct.
“I’ve started looking back—have I ever misbehaved toward the United States? Do I have a history? Have I been convicted? Have I gone against the law anywhere?” he asked.
The development follows the US government’s recent tightening of immigration rules and visa scrutiny, though it remains unclear whether the revocation is connected to those measures.
Soyinka’s visa is a B1/B2 non-immigrant visa, typically granted for short-term business or tourism visits.
Earlier, on September 10, 2025, PM News reported that Soyinka had declined an invitation from the US Consulate to appear for a visa re-interview scheduled for the following day, September 11.
In that interview, Soyinka said he initially thought the invitation letter was fake.
“I thought it came from scammers who prey on those eager to get visas elsewhere. I even suspected that maybe AI had generated it. It was very strange,” he said.
He added that once he confirmed the letter’s authenticity, he reflected on his long-standing cordial relationship with past US ambassadors, consuls general, and cultural attachés.
“It has always been a courteous relationship,” he said.
The US Consulate has yet to issue a public statement regarding the revocation.
