The United States has explained why it revoked the visa of the Nobel laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka.
According to that country’s consulate in Lagos, visas granted to foreign nationals are a privilege and not an entitlement.
It gave the clarification on Thursday in response to inquiry about the revocation of Prof Soyinka’s visa.
However, the Consulate did not give specific details due to confidentiality laws.
“Under U.S. law, visa records are generally confidential. We will not discuss the details of this individual visa case,” said Julia McKay, Public Diplomacy Officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos.
McKay added that visas could be revoked at any time at the discretion of the U.S. government, emphasizing that “visas are a privilege, not a right. Every country, including the United States, can determine who enters its borders.”
Soyinka had revealed on Tuesday during a media parley in Lagos that his B1/B2 visa had been revoked.
The 91-year-old Nobel laureate, speaking at Freedom Park, disclosed that the notice of revocation came in a letter dated October 23, 2025, from the U.S. Consulate.
“I have no visa; I am obviously banned from the United States. If you want to see me, you know where to find me,” he told journalists during the session themed “Unending Saga: Idi Amin in Whiteface.”
Soyinka said he was unaware of any wrongdoing that could have prompted the decision. Reflecting on his long association with the U.S., he recalled two minor incidents from decades ago that might, however unlikely, be linked.
He recounted being fined about $25 for failing to declare green chilies at Chicago Airport many years ago and another confrontation with police during a 1970s conference in Atlanta over a racist incident.
“These are the only two crimes I can consider myself guilty of in all the decades I’ve been going to the United States,” he said.
According to the Consulate’s letter, Soyinka’s non-immigrant visa “has been revoked pursuant to the authority contained in the U.S. Department of State regulations 22 CFR 41.122 and is no longer valid for entry into the United States.”
The letter further instructed him to return the visa for physical cancellation and advised that he reapply if he wished to travel again.
Soyinka’s visa had been issued on April 2, 2024. The 1986 Nobel Prize winner, known globally for his literary works and activism, has long maintained ties with the U.S., where he has held several academic appointments.
The revocation has stirred fresh debate over the U.S. government’s tightening immigration measures, particularly affecting African travelers.
