The United States Embassy in Lagos has addressed public concerns following the revocation of Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka’s U.S. visa, emphasizing that entry visas are privileges, not rights, and can be withdrawn at any time.
In a statement released on Thursday, Julia McKay, the Embassy’s Public Diplomacy Officer, said the Consulate could not discuss the specifics of Soyinka’s case due to confidentiality laws, but reaffirmed that the U.S. government reserves the discretion to revoke visas when necessary.
“Under U.S. law, visa records are generally confidential. We will not discuss the details of this individual visa case,” McKay said.
“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.”
The clarification comes after Professor Soyinka revealed during a media briefing on Tuesday in Lagos that his B1/B2 U.S. visa—issued on April 2, 2024—had been revoked. According to him, he received a letter dated October 23, 2025, from the U.S. Consulate informing him of the decision, citing U.S. Department of State regulation 22 CFR 41.122.
The letter explained that the revocation followed the emergence of new information after the visa was issued.
Soyinka, however, said he was baffled by the decision, recalling only two minor past incidents — one involving undeclared peppers at a U.S. airport and another disagreement with police in Atlanta decades ago.
The Consulate also requested that he return the visa for physical cancellation, a directive Soyinka described humorously, asking if anyone in the audience would volunteer to deliver it for him.
“If you have plans to travel to the United States, you must apply again to re-establish your qualifications for a new non-immigrant visa,” the Consulate’s letter reportedly stated.
Born in 1934, Professor Wole Soyinka is one of Africa’s most celebrated literary figures. He became the first African Nobel Laureate in Literature in 1986 and has held teaching positions at several prestigious universities in the United States.
