Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka has revealed that the United States of America has revoked his visa, effectively preventing his entry into the country for the foreseeable future.
Soyinka made the disclosure during a media parley on Tuesday at Kongi’s Harvest Gallery, Freedom Park, Lagos Island, explaining that he was unaware of any wrongdoing that could have warranted the decision.
“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,” he told journalists.
According to Soyinka, the notification of the revocation came in a letter dated 23 October 2025 from the US Consulate General in Lagos. The letter, which he shared with reporters, read in part: “This letter serves as official notification by the United States Consulate General in Lagos that the non-immigrant visa listed below has been revoked pursuant to the authority contained in US Department of State regulations.” It was issued by the Non-Immigrant Visa (NIV) Section of the Consulate.
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Soyinka, who appeared visibly surprised by the decision, said he had no criminal record or prior offence that might justify the action. “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? Have I gone against the law anywhere?” he asked.
The reason for the revocation remains unclear, though it comes amid the US government’s tighter immigration policies and visa reviews. Soyinka, whose visa is classified as B1/B2 — a non-immigrant visa for business and tourism — said he initially thought the letter was fake.
“At first, I thought it was advance-fee fraud because I had never received such a letter from any embassy. I even thought maybe AI had generated it. But when I confirmed it was genuine, I was astonished,” he explained.
PM News previously reported that in September 2025, Soyinka had declined an invitation by the US Consulate to appear for a visa re-interview, describing the summons as “strange and unnecessary.”
Soyinka emphasised that his relationship with successive US diplomatic officials had always been cordial, expressing confusion over what might have prompted the action.
“This is not a personal issue, I have always had a courteous relationship with the US Consulate,” he said.
The US authorities have yet to issue any public explanation for the decision.
