Nigerian Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka has stated that the US government has revoked his visa, banning him from entering the country. In a recent conference, Soyinka described a notification from the US consulate to cancel his visa in person as a 'rather curious love letter from an embassy.' The 91-year-old author, who gained the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986, has previously held permanent residency in the US but renounced it in 2016 as a form of protest against then-President Donald Trump's election.
The US embassy in Nigeria has refused to comment on individual cases. Soyinka’s relationship with the US has become increasingly strained due to both his critical views on the Trump administration and recent changes in US visa policies affecting several African countries.
Soyinka has enjoyed a robust academic career in the US for over three decades but lamented the loss of his visa, humorously noting that his green card had 'fallen victim to a pair of scissors' during his act of protest. He voiced doubts about any future visits to the US, humorously questioning, 'How old am I?' His recent comments comparing Trump to Uganda's infamous dictator Idi Amin have further fueled speculation regarding the motivation behind the visa revocation.
In light of this situation, Soyinka urged potential US invites to not waste their time in pursuing arrangements for him to travel, as he finds himself officially barred from the country.
