Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka has declined an invitation from the US Consulate in Nigeria for a visa re-interview, citing both political and symbolic concerns. The invitation was extended to holders of B1/B2 visas, and Soyinka’s appointment was set for Thursday, September 11.
Soyinka said that at first he thought the request was a scam, since he had never before been asked to attend such a reinterview. But after confirming that the letter was genuine, he found the timing deeply problematic. He pointed out that September 11 is a solemn day in American memory, one that should be reserved for reflection—not bureaucratic formalities.
He also shared his reluctance to travel to countries where he doesn’t feel welcome, and said he distrusts the administration under which this reinterview was requested. His decision, he emphasized, is not personal but rooted in principle: he would rather sever connections than comply with what he perceives as provocation.
In one particularly pointed moment, Soyinka compared the conduct of US leadership under President Trump to that of former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. He suggested that authoritarian tendencies can manifest in different colours, warning that being asked by such figures—or by embassies connected to such figures—to attend reinterviews demands serious consideration of what awaits on the other side of the door.
