Soyinka Declines U.S. Visa Reinterview, Citing Principles and Superstition

Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka has publicly refused to honor an invitation from the United States Consulate in Nigeria for a visa reinterview scheduled for Thursday, September 11, 2025. Soyinka, who is among many Nigerians asked to attend the reinterview, described the invitation as strange and expressed strong reservations about the timing and intent behind it.In an exclusive interview with newsmen on Tuesday, Soyinka recounted his initial suspicion that the invitation was a scam aimed at exploiting Nigerians desperate for visas. “At first, I thought it was fraud — advance fee scammers targeting hopeful applicants.

Only later did I realize the letter was genuine,” he said. Soyinka emphasized this was not a personal affront but a broader issue concerning U.S. visa policies and the treatment of Nigerian travelers.Further fueling his refusal was the symbolic choice of the reinterview date—September 11, a day of profound significance and solemn remembrance in the United States. “To invite people for visa interviews on 9/11 is insensitive. That day should be a national day of mourning and sober reflection in the U.S.

Instead of inviting people to risk losing their visas, the consulate should close office on that day,” he asserted. Soyinka added that out of respect for the day, he would be “airborne somewhere” rather than attending the interview.He also delivered a pointed critique of the current U.S. administration, which he likened to dictatorial regimes, calling President Donald Trump a “white Idi Amin.”

Soyinka expressed concern for his safety and dignity in submitting to what he termed an arbitrary process. “If Idi Amin invites you, you think twice about what awaits you,” he remarked.Despite his rejection, Soyinka acknowledged the invitation has sparked important discourse about the precarious nature of visas and the plight of Nigerians who build lives abroad only to face sudden revocation of their legal status. “It is horrifying and inhuman to be told you cannot return to your life after obeying the law,” he said.

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Unlike many Nigerians with permanent lives overseas, Soyinka described himself as nomadic but condemned the dehumanizing consequences for others caught in this predicament.The U.S. Embassy in Nigeria recently initiated a new visa review process affecting B1/B2 visa holders amid system upgrades and policy changes.

This includes mandatory in-person document reviews and interviews aimed at improving visa adjudication transparency. However, the new procedure has faced criticism and confusion, with some attributing it to technical glitches and bureaucratic overreach.

Professor Soyinka’s firm stance adds a powerful voice from a revered figure expressing skepticism toward the evolving diplomatic and immigration relations between Nigeria and the United States.