Prof. Soyinka – Why My U.S. Visa Was Revoked Permanently

Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka says his United States visa has been permanently revoked. He disclosed at a media parley in Lagos, where he read aloud an official letter he said he received from the U.S. Consulate in Lagos last Thursday, October 23.

Soyinka linked the development to what he described as a pattern of targeting over his long-standing criticism of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s policies. He reminded journalists that in December 2016 he publicly relinquished his U.S. Green Card following Trump’s election victory, a symbolic act that drew global attention at the time.

At the briefing, themed “Unending Saga: Idi Amin in Whiteface!” and held at Freedom Park, Soyinka read portions of the consulate’s notice. 

The letter, citing Department of State Regulation 22 CFR 41.122, stated that his B1/B2 non-immigrant visa, issued on April 2, 2024, in Lagos, had been revoked and was no longer valid for entry into the United States. 

It added that additional information had become available after the visa was granted and clarified that the revocation referred only to the visa listed.

Despite the decision, Soyinka said he holds no grudge against Americans and will continue to receive U.S. visitors at his home in Abeokuta, Ogun State, whenever there is a legitimate reason to meet. 

He stressed that his criticism has always been directed at public policy, not people, and that he remains committed to speaking out against racism and other injustices wherever they occur.

“I will continue to welcome any American to my home if they have anything legitimate to do with me,” he said, emphasising that he considers himself a global citizen whose duty is to call out excesses of power, whether in the United States or elsewhere.