Nigeria’s Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has announced that the United States has revoked his visa, a move that effectively bars him from travelling to the country despite decades of academic, literary and cultural engagement.
Speaking on Tuesday at Kongi’s Harvest Gallery, Freedom Park, Lagos Island, the globally acclaimed writer said he found the decision baffling, noting that he was unaware of any action on his part that could justify such a sanction.
Soyinka said he convened the media briefing to notify institutions and individuals in the United States who might be expecting him for lectures, conferences or public engagements, so they would not be left waiting in vain.
“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,” the playwright said.
He explained that the revocation was communicated to him through a letter from the US Consulate, adding that he had begun reviewing his past interactions with the country in search of any possible violation.
“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,” Soyinka said, questioning whether he had ever breached any law or behaved improperly toward the United States.
The development comes against the backdrop of Soyinka’s long-standing criticism of former US President Donald Trump.
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Ahead of Trump’s first successful presidential run, the scholar publicly declared that he would destroy his green card if Trump emerged victorious.
After Trump won the election, Soyinka followed through on his pledge and stayed away from the United States, despite holding permanent residency status at the time.
However, following Trump’s conviction in 2024 on 34 counts of falsifying business records, Soyinka suggested that he might reconsider his earlier stance and apply again for permanent residency.
In a statement issued after the conviction, the playwright described the court decision as “daybreak on a new democratic promise,” particularly for societies grappling with impunity and abuse of power.
“For millions in anguished parts of the world, certainly for us in vast swathes of the African continent, this is daybreak on a new democratic promise,” Soyinka said, adding that the episode served as both a warning and a challenge to authoritarian tendencies across the globe.
The revocation of Soyinka’s visa has sparked renewed debate over the intersection of politics, dissent and immigration policy, especially involving prominent global intellectuals.
Express News
