The United States Embassy in Lagos has clarified that the issuance of visas to foreign nationals is a privilege, not a right, following the revocation of Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka’s American visa.
Responding to inquiries from The PUNCH on Thursday, Julia McKay, Public Diplomacy Officer at the US Consulate General in Lagos, said US law prevents the disclosure of individual visa records for confidentiality reasons.
“Under U.S. law, visa records are generally confidential. We will not discuss the details of this individual visa case,” McKay stated in an emailed response.
She emphasized that the US government reserves the discretion to revoke visas at any time, noting, “Visas are a privilege, not a right. Every country, including the United States, can determine who enters its borders. Visas may be revoked at any time, at the discretion of the U.S. government, whenever circumstances warrant.”
Clarification Reasons
The clarification followed Soyinka’s public revelation on Tuesday that his B1/B2 visa had been revoked by the US Consulate in Lagos. Speaking during a media parley titled “Unending Saga: Idi Amin in Whiteface” at Freedom Park, Lagos, the 91-year-old author said the revocation was communicated to him in a letter dated October 23, 2025.
“It is necessary for me to hold this press 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,” Soyinka told journalists.
The renowned playwright, who has long been a critic of former US President Donald Trump, said he was unaware of any wrongdoing that could have triggered the decision.
While reflecting on his past travels to the US, Soyinka recalled two minor incidents — one involving a $25 fine in Chicago for undeclared green chilies at an airport, and another altercation with a police officer in Atlanta during the 1970s — but said he doubted either was relevant to the current revocation.
A letter from the Consulate stated that Soyinka’s non-immigrant visa “has been revoked pursuant to U.S. Department of State regulations 22 CFR 41.122”, citing that “additional information became available after the visa was issued.” The letter also requested that Soyinka submit the visa for “physical cancellation.”
Soyinka’s visa had been issued on April 2, 2024, according to the correspondence. Soyinka, who became the first African Nobel laureate in Literature in 1986, has taught at several US universities and lived intermittently in the country over the years.
