US revokes Wole Soyinka’s visa, asks him to reapply

The United States government has revoked the non-immigrant visa of Wole Soyinka, the Nobel laureate.

In a letter dated October 23 and signed by the US consulate-general in Lagos, Soyinka was directed to present his passport at the consulate for physical cancellation of the visa.

Soyinka spoke during a media parley held in Lagos on Tuesday, where he read excerpts from the official correspondence sent to him.

“This letter serves as official notification by the United States Consulate General in Lagos that the nonimmigrant visa listed below has been revoked pursuant to the authority contained in U.S. Department of State regulations 22 CFR 41.122 and is no longer valid for application for entry into the United States,” the letter reads.

The US government added that “additional information became available after the visa was issued”, and requested that the document be submitted to the consulate for cancellation.

The Nobel laureate said he could not identify the specific offence that led the revocation of his visa by the US government.

Soyinka said he applied for the visa after he received a letter from the US Internal Revenue Service about an audit for tax returns.

He explained that his trip was to resolve the tax issues, adding that he wanted to prevent a situation where the US might advertise him as a “tax dodger” to the world.

Soyinka made reference to how he discarded his US green card after President Donald Trump assumed office in his first term.

The Nobel laureate said he wondered whether his visa was revoked because he described Trump as “Idi Amin in white face”.

“It is necessary for me to give this press conference so that people in the United States who are expecting me for their event, not to waste their time. I have no desire,” he said.

“I have written a lot of plays about Idi Amin. Maybe it is about time I also write about Donald Trump. Literary compliment. Maybe he would reconsider and restore my visa.

“I want to reassure the US Consulate that I’m very contend with the revocation of my visa. Individual citizens are free to interact with me.”

In September, Soyinka said he would not honour an invitation by the US consulate in Lagos for a visa interview scheduled for September 11, 2025.