Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has revealed that the United States government has revoked his non-immigrant visa, effectively barring him from entering the country.
Speaking during a media parley themed “Unending Saga: Idi Amin in Whiteface!” at Kongi’s Harvest Gallery, Freedom Park, Lagos Island, the literary icon said the move appeared to be politically motivated, linking it to his long-standing criticism of former US President Donald Trump, whom he described as “Idi Amin in whiteface.”
“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,” Soyinka told journalists.
Reading from the official letter, he said he received the notification on Thursday, October 23, 2025, from the Non-Immigrant Visa Section of the US Consulate General in Lagos. The letter, dated the same day, stated that his visa had been revoked pursuant to the authority contained in US Department of State regulations, adding that additional information had become available after the visa was issued.
According to the details, the revoked visa was a B1/B2 category, issued on April 2, 2024, in Lagos, with the following particulars: SOYINKA, WOLE; date of birth, July 13, 1934; place of birth, Nigeria.
The Nobel laureate expressed surprise at the development, saying he could not recall any wrongdoing or violation that might have warranted such action. “I’m still looking into my past history. I don’t have any criminal record, felony, or even a misdemeanour. Have I ever misbehaved toward the United States? Have I gone against the law anywhere?” he asked.
Soyinka stated that he bore no ill will toward the American people and would continue to welcome any American to his home if they had legitimate business with him. He maintained that he would remain outspoken on issues of racism and policies he considered unjust, including those associated with Trump’s administration.
The development follows an earlier incident on September 11, 2025, when Soyinka declined an invitation by the US Consulate for a visa re-interview, part of a broader exercise targeting holders of B1/B2 visas. At the time, he initially dismissed the invitation as a scam but, upon discovering it was genuine, said he had no interest in pursuing the process. “So the question of going to such an interview is totally out of consideration,” he said, adding that the choice of September 11 — a date he regards as one of solemn reflection for Americans — was “insensitive.”
Soyinka also reiterated his distrust of a government he described as being led by a “white Idi Amin,” a veiled reference to Trump.
It will be recalled that in December 2016, the playwright publicly destroyed his US Green Card following Trump’s election victory, fulfilling a vow he had made before the polls.
