Wole Soyinka Says U.S. Revoked His Visa, Claims He Is Banned from the Country

Nigeria’s Nobel Prize-winning author Wole Soyinka has revealed that the United States revoked his non-immigrant visa, which had been issued last year. The 91-year-old literary icon said he was informed by the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos that he must reapply if he wishes to visit the country again.

Soyinka, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986, shared a copy of the letter from the consulate with reporters. The letter, dated October 23, requested him to submit his passport for the physical cancellation of the visa, citing that “additional information became available” after the visa was issued. The U.S. Embassy in Nigeria has not yet commented on the matter.

This development adds another chapter to Soyinka’s complex relationship with the U.S. In 2016, he publicly tore up his U.S. green card and renounced his American residency following the election of Donald Trump as president. Despite this, Soyinka has maintained strong academic ties with the United States, holding teaching positions at Ivy League universities since the mid-1990s.

Speaking to journalists, Soyinka said, “I have no visa; I am banned, obviously, from the United States. If you want to see me, you know where to find me,” referring to those planning to invite him for events in the U.S.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria revised its visa policy, limiting non-immigrant visas for Nigerians to single-entry three-month permits, a rollback from the previous five-year multiple-entry visas.

Soyinka’s situation highlights growing concerns about U.S.-Nigeria diplomatic relations and changing visa regulationsaffecting Nigerian citizens. His long-standing influence as one of Africa’s greatest writers continues to draw attention to issues of freedom, identity, and international policy.