Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka has turned down an invitation by the U.S. Consulate in Nigeria to attend a visa reinterview originally scheduled for September 11.
Soyinka described the request as both “strange and bizarre,” questioning why he would be asked to undergo another visa process despite his longstanding international stature and frequent travels.
The literary icon, who became Africa’s first Nobel Prize winner in Literature in 1986, has been an outspoken critic of bureaucracy and political excess. His refusal has sparked public debate on diplomatic procedures, with many Nigerians expressing concern over the treatment of such a globally recognized figure.
The U.S. Consulate has yet to issue an official statement on the matter.