Wole Soyinka Confirms U.S. Visa Revoked, Says He’s “B@nned” from Entering the Country

Nigerian Nobel Prize winner Wole Soyinka has announced that his non-immigrant visa to the United States has been revoked.

The 91-year-old author received a letter from the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos, dated 23 October 2025, advising him to return his passport for the cancellation of his B1/B2 visa. The reason cited was that “additional information became available after the visa was issued.” Soyinka confirmed the revocation at a media event held at Kongi’s Harvest Gallery in Freedom Park, Lagos Island. He stated, “I have no visa; I am banned, obviously, from the United States.”

Soyinka expressed his surprise and confusion over the decision, emphasising that he is unaware of any offence committed that could justify such action. He said, “I’m still looking into my past history… I don’t have any criminal record or even a misdemeanour that would warrant this.” He clarified that he has no plans to reapply for a U.S. visa and noted that the announcement was made so that event organisers in the United States would not plan with him in mind.

This decision comes amid a broader tightening of U.S. visa policy for Nigerian nationals. In July 2025, the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria announced that holders of non-immigrant visas from Nigeria would no longer receive multi-entry permits valid for up to five years; instead, they would be issued single-entry permits valid for three months.

Soyinka had earlier declined an invitation from the U.S. Consulate for a visa re-interview scheduled for 11 September 2025. He cited concerns that the process was “strange and bizarre,” and criticised the timing of the date as insensitive.

As Africa’s first recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature (1986), Soyinka has long enjoyed an international profile, including academic engagements in the U.S. His visa revocation marks a significant development in his relationship with the United States and highlights changing dynamics in U.S.-Nigeria diplomatic and immigration policy.