By Ghazali Ibrahim
Nigeria’s literary icon and Nobel Prize‑winner, Wole Soyinka, announced on Tuesday that his United States visa has been officially revoked, effectively banning him from entering the country.
According to the 91‑year‑old author, the visa cancellation followed a letter from the U.S. Consulate in Lagos, dated October 23, 2025, which stated that “additional information became available” after his visa was issued.
Addressing journalists at a press event in Lagos, Soyinka presented a copy of the notification and said he has “no visa; I am banned, obviously, from the United States, and if you want to see me, you know where to find me.”
He expressed confusion over the move, asserting he has never faced criminal charges or immigration violations.
“I’m still looking into my past history… I don’t have any past criminal record or even a misdemeanour to qualify for the revocation,” he said.
Soyinka’s revelation comes amid tighter U.S. visa policies for Nigerian nationals.
In July 2025, the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria announced that most Nigerian non‑immigrant visas would be scaled back from up to five‑year multiple‑entry permits to single‑entry three‑month validity.
Known for his outspoken views and political activism, Soyinka once renounced his U.S. green card in 2016 as a protest against then‑President Donald Trump’s election.
While he has served as a visiting professor at Ivy League institutions in the U.S., his new status now leaves future invitations to lecture or attend events across the Atlantic in doubt.
The U.S. Embassy in Nigeria declined to comment on the matter, citing privacy and security protocols.
