Elizabeth A. Harris of The New York Times is reporting celebrated Nigerian Nobel Laureate poet and activist Wole Soyinka, 91, has had his U.S. visa revoked. The Nobel Prize-winning author stated last Tuesday (October 29) that he received a letter from Rick Swart, the U.S. consulate general in Lagos stating the legendary poet’s U.S. visa had been revoked, after “additional information had become available.” Soyinka, who has a non-immigrant B1/B2 visa, also said he did not attend a visa renewal meeting requested by the U.S. State Department. Watch this YouTube video from THECABLE to hear Soyinka’s comments about the revocation.
Soyinka has been a vocal critic of U.S. President Trump. Soyinka’s U.S. visa was granted in April 2024 under the Biden Administration. A non-immigrant B1/B2 visa can be valid for up to 10 years, but this summer, the current administration restricted the length of visas for Nigerian citizens. The current U.S. consulate general has requested Soyinka present his passport to the consulate for revocation. Read more at the New York Times.
This post was curated by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder & editor-in-chief of The Burton Wire. Follow The Burton Wire on Instagram and Meta.Â
