Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka has revealed that his visa to the United States of America has been revoked, a move he described as both unexpected and puzzling.
Speaking on Tuesday at a media briefing held at Kongi’s Harvest Gallery, Freedom Park, Lagos Island, the globally acclaimed writer and human rights advocate disclosed that he was officially notified of the revocation in a letter from the US Consulate dated October 23, 2025.
“It is important for me to make this public so that those expecting me at various events in the United States will not be inconvenienced,” Soyinka stated. “I currently have no visa — effectively, I am barred from entering the United States. If you wish to see me, you know where to find me.”
Expressing surprise and confusion over the decision, Soyinka said he was unaware of any actions or circumstances that could have warranted such a measure.
He, however, suggested that the revocation might be connected to his past criticisms of former US President Donald Trump and his administration’s policies.
It will be recalled that Soyinka dramatically tore up his US Green Card in protest following Trump’s 2016 election victory.
More recently, he declined an invitation from the US Consulate for a visa re-interview scheduled for September 2025, citing the symbolic weight of the date — the anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
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