Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka has revealed that his visa to the United States has been revoked.
Speaking during a press briefing at Kongi’s Harvest Gallery, Freedom Park, Lagos Island, on Tuesday, Soyinka said he received a letter from the U.S. Consulate dated October 23rd, 2025, notifying him of the decision.
“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. 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,” he said.
The literary icon expressed shock at the move, saying he was unaware of any wrongdoing that could have warranted the revocation.
He suggested that the decision might be tied to his long-standing criticism of former U.S. President Donald Trump and his policies.
Soyinka previously tore up his U.S. green card in protest after Trump’s 2016 election win and declined an invitation for a visa re-interview in September 2025, citing the date’s significance as the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.