Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has revealed that the United States government has revoked his entry visa, effectively barring him from travelling to the country for now.
Soyinka disclosed this on Tuesday during a media parley held at Kongi’s Harvest Gallery, Freedom Park, Lagos Island. He said he was shocked by the development, as he was unaware of any reason that could have led to the action.
“It is necessary for me to hold this conference so that people in the United States who are expecting me for one event or another 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.
The literary icon explained that the United States Consulate in Lagos notified him of the revocation in a letter dated October 23, 2025.
“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as official notification by the United States Consulate General in Lagos that the nonimmigrant visa listed below has been revoked pursuant to the authority contained in U.S. Department of State regulations,” part of the letter read.
The letter, signed by the Non-Immigrant Visa (NIV) Section of the Consulate, did not specify the reason for the decision.
Soyinka, however, expressed surprise, stating that he had no criminal or civil record that could have prompted the action.
“I’m still looking into my past history… I don’t have any criminal record, felony, or misdemeanour to justify this revocation.
I keep asking myself — have I ever misbehaved toward the United States of America? Have I ever gone against any law?” he said.
In an earlier interview with PM News in September, the Nobel Laureate had disclosed that he declined an invitation from the U.S. Consulate to appear for a visa re-interview, describing the notice as unusual.
Soyinka said at the time that he initially suspected the invitation letter was fraudulent, thinking it was a scam attempt or an AI-generated fake message, until he later confirmed its authenticity.
“At first, I thought it was advance-fee fraud because I had never received such a letter from that or any other embassy. I even thought maybe AI had generated it. By the time I realised it was genuine, I began reflecting on my long-standing cordial relationship with U.S. diplomats, ambassadors, and cultural attachés,” he told PM News.
Professor Soyinka’s visa was classified as a B1/B2 non-immigrant visa, which allows for temporary entry into the United States for business or tourism.
The U.S. government has in recent months tightened its immigration and visa regulations, as part of broader measures to manage migrant inflows and reassess visa categories.
As of press time, the U.S. Consulate in Lagos had yet to issue an official statement on the revocation.
