…Nobel Laureate Says Revocation Baffling and Unjustified
By Franklin Adole
The United States government may have revoked the visa of Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, due to his refusal to attend a revalidation interview requested by the U.S. Consulate in Lagos earlier this year.
Soyinka disclosed the revocation on Tuesday during a media parley at Kongi’s Harvest Gallery, Freedom Park, Lagos Island, explaining that he was officially notified in a letter from the Consulate dated October 23, 2025.
According to the Consulate’s correspondence, the revocation was carried out “pursuant to the authority contained in U.S. Department of State regulations,” effectively nullifying the Nobel laureate’s B1/B2 non-immigrant visa — a category that allows for short-term travel to the United States for business and tourism.
The decision comes weeks after Soyinka publicly declined an invitation by the Consulate to appear for a “visa interview” in September, part of a broader review of B1/B2 visas held by Nigerian citizens. The exercise, which the U.S. government described as routine, was intended to revalidate multiple-entry visas and verify travel compliance records.
Soyinka, however, said at the time that he saw no reason to subject himself to a new round of questioning, insisting that he had maintained a spotless travel record over decades of visiting and teaching in the United States.
“I received an invitation to appear for what was called a visa interview, and I decided not to go,” he said. “I have never had any issues with my visa or travel status. I found the request strange and unnecessary, and I declined.”
Weeks later, he was informed that his visa had been revoked.
“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,” Soyinka said on Tuesday. “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 89-year-old laureate said he was shocked by the development, noting that he had “never committed any offense, felony, or misdemeanor” that could warrant such punitive action.
“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 asked rhetorically.
He initially suspected the notification letter might have been fake, thinking it was a scam. “I thought it was advance-fee fraud, because I had never received that kind of letter from any embassy. It was only later that I confirmed it was genuine,” he explained.
The U.S. Consulate has not issued an official statement on the matter, but diplomatic sources suggest that Soyinka’s visa may have been flagged for non-compliance with the revalidation process, part of Washington’s tightening of travel rules and periodic audits of long-term visa holders.
The move reflects a broader U.S. policy shift aimed at curbing overstays and reassessing multiple-entry visas issued before 2020, according to observers familiar with American consular practice.
Soyinka, who has held a long and distinguished association with American universities and cultural institutions, described the revocation as “baffling” and said he was not taking it personally.
“I have always enjoyed cordial relations with U.S. ambassadors, Consuls General, and Cultural Attachés,” he said. “This is unfortunate, but it is their country, and they have their rules. I’ll continue my work here. If America has closed its doors to me, the world remains wide open.”