US revokes Wole Soyinka’s visa, nobel laureate left baffled

By Obasola Olatunde

Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, on Tuesday revealed that the United States government has revoked his visa, barring his entry into the country a development he described as shocking and unexplained.

Speaking during a media parley at Kongi’s Harvest Gallery, Freedom Park, Lagos, Soyinka said he was informed of the revocation through an official letter from the U.S. Consulate in Lagos, dated October 23, 2025, but insisted he had “no record of wrongdoing” that could justify such action.

“I have no visa; I am obviously banned from the United States,” the 90 year old literary icon told journalists. “It is necessary to inform my hosts in the U.S. not to waste their time expecting me at any event. I have no idea what I have done wrong.”

The letter, issued by the Consulate’s Non Immigrant Visa Section, officially notified Soyinka of the revocation “pursuant to the authority contained in U.S. Department of State regulations.”

Although the reason for the action remains unclear, the development comes amid stricter U.S. immigration policies aimed at curbing inflows of migrants.

Soyinka, who holds a B1/B2 visa a non immigrant travel document for business and tourism said he initially dismissed the letter as a scam before confirming its authenticity.

“I thought it was advance fee fraud or AI generated spam,” he said, recalling his first reaction. “But when I realised it was genuine, I began to question my history. I have never committed a crime or violated any law, either in Nigeria or abroad.”

It will be recalled that in September 2025, Soyinka told PM News he declined an invitation by the U.S. Consulate for a “visa re interview,” describing it as unnecessary and intrusive.

The United States Embassy in Nigeria has yet to issue an official statement explaining the circumstances surrounding the visa withdrawal.