BREAKING: U.S. Blasts Wole Soyinka, Says Visa Granted to Nigerians Is a Privilege, Not a Right

The United States Consulate in Lagos has reaffirmed that visas granted to foreign nationals, including Nigerians, are a privilege and not a right, as it responded to public concerns following the revocation of Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka’s U.S. visa.

 

Speaking on Thursday, Julia McKay, Public Diplomacy Officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos, explained that the U.S. government was bound by confidentiality laws and could not comment on the details of Soyinka’s case.

 

“Under U.S. law, visa records are generally confidential. We will not discuss the details of this individual visa case,” McKay said.

 

She further emphasized that the U.S. government retains full discretion over visa issuance and revocation.

 

“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,” she added.

 

The response comes after Prof. Soyinka, 91, revealed earlier this week that his B1/B2 visa had been revoked by the U.S. Embassy. Speaking at a press briefing held at Kongi’s Harvest, Freedom Park, Lagos, the literary icon disclosed that he had been informed he was no longer eligible to enter the United States.

 

“It is necessary for me to hold this press conference so that people in the United States who are expecting me for events 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,” Soyinka told journalists.

 

The playwright and Nobel laureate expressed confusion over the decision, insisting he had done nothing to warrant such an action.

 

“I’ve started looking back—have I ever misbehaved towards the United States of America? Do I have a history? Have I been convicted? Have I gone against the law anywhere?” he asked rhetorically.

 

Soyinka also recounted two minor incidents that occurred decades ago during his travels in the U.S. He mentioned being fined $25 at a Chicago airport for failing to declare green chilies in his pocket and an altercation with police at an Atlanta hotel in the 1970s, which he attributed to racist treatment.

 

According to an official letter from the U.S. Consulate dated October 23, 2025, Soyinka’s non-immigrant visa was revoked under U.S. Department of State regulation 22 CFR 41.122. The document instructed that his visa be returned for cancellation and noted that he could reapply for a new one. His previous visa had been issued on April 2, 2024.

 

Prof. Soyinka, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986, has long-standing academic and cultural ties to the United States, having lectured at several American universities.

 

The revocation has sparked widespread debate and speculation, with many observers viewing it as part of broader U.S. efforts to tighten immigration and travel controls, particularly concerning African countries.

 

As reactions continue to pour in, the U.S. Consulate maintains its position that visa privileges can be withdrawn “whenever circumstances warrant”—a statement that has stirred both criticism and support within Nigeria’s diplomatic and academic circles.