Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, on Tuesday announced that the United States of America has revoked his visa.
The reason for the visa revocation remains unclear, as Soyinka himself said he was still in the dark about it.
Soyinka disclosed this during a media parley held at Kongi’s Harvest Gallery, Freedom Park, Lagos Island.
The Nobel Laureate winner said he was unaware of any wrongdoing that could have warranted the revocation.
“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.”
In recent times, the US government has taken steps to curb the influx of migrants into the country.
According to Soyinka, the US Consulate informed 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as official notification by the United States Consulate General in Lagos that the non-immigrant visa listed below has been revoked pursuant to the authority contained in U.S. Department of State regulations,” part of the letter, shown to our correspondent by Soyinka, read.
The letter was issued by the NIV Section of the Consulate.
The Nobel Laureate expressed confusion over the development, saying, “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? Do I have a history? Have I been convicted? Have I gone against the law anywhere?”
