By Abiola Olawale
Nobel Laureate and world-renowned writer, Professor Wole Soyinka, has revealed how the government of the United States recently revoked his visa.
Soyinka, a 92-year-old literary icon, speaking during a media parley held at Freedom Park in Lagos on Tuesday, explained that his visa was revoked following his refusal to attend a reinterview requested by the U.S. Consulate.
He said on October 23, 2025, he received a letter asking him to visit the consulate so that his visa could be officially stamped as “cancelled permanently.”
The professor, however, said he would not honour the invitation, insisting that such a visit was unnecessary.
“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 told journalists.
Despite the revocation, he noted that he would not reciprocate the action.
“I will continue to welcome any American to my home if they have anything legitimate to do with me,” he affirmed.
Also, Soyinka showed the letter he revealed from the U.S Consulate General in Lagos to the press.
“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as official notification by the United States Consulate General in Lagos that the nonimmigrant visa listed below has been revoked pursuant to the authority contained in U.S. Department of State regulations,” part of the letter reads.
Soyinka also used the occasion to recount two earlier experiences he had with U.S. authorities, both of which he described as minor and misunderstood incidents that did not amount to criminal activity.
The first incident, he said, occurred many years ago at an American airport.
Having flown in from the United Kingdom during winter, Soyinka decided to eat some spicy chilli pepper to keep warm. He also placed a few in his pocket before boarding his flight.
Upon arrival in the U.S., airport officials discovered the pepper during a routine search and fined him 25 dollars for bringing agricultural produce into the country without declaration.
“The officials were just doing their job,” he said, laughing. “It was a harmless mistake I simply forgot to declare the chilli I had carried from London.”
The second incident took place in the 1970s at Chicago Airport, where Soyinka said he had challenged an immigration officer who made a racist remark.
Reflecting on both experiences, Soyinka said, “I do not think those two incidents are enough to classify me as having a criminal record in the United States. They were simply misunderstandings that could happen to anyone.”
