Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has revealed that the United States government has revoked his entry visa, effectively barring him from entering the country.
Speaking during a media briefing at Kongi’s Harvest Gallery, Freedom Park, Lagos Island, on Tuesday, Soyinka said he was shocked by the development and unaware of any wrongdoing that could have triggered the decision.
“It is necessary for me to hold this conference so that people in the United States who are expecting me for events do not waste their time,” he said.
“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.”
According to Soyinka, the US Consulate in Lagos informed him of the decision in a letter dated October 23, 2025, which stated that his B1/B2 non-immigrant visa had been revoked under U.S. Department of State regulations. The letter was issued by the Consulate’s NIV Section.
The reason for the revocation remains unclear. Soyinka expressed confusion over the situation, noting that he has never been convicted of any crime or violated any U.S. law.
“I’ve started looking back—have I ever misbehaved toward the United States of America? Have I been convicted? Have I gone against the law anywhere?” he wondered aloud.
Earlier, in September 2025, PM News reported that Soyinka declined an invitation from the U.S. Consulate for a “visa re-interview” scheduled for September 11, describing the letter as suspicious at first and suspecting it was a scam.
“At first, I thought it was fake… maybe AI-generated or advance-fee fraud,” he said at the time.
“When I confirmed it was genuine, I reflected on my relationship with U.S. diplomats, which has always been courteous.”
The U.S. government has recently tightened its immigration and visa policies, a move seen as part of broader efforts to regulate foreign entry into the country.
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