I’m not terribly familiar with Soyinka’s writing, but as a general rule, the Nobel Literature prize tends to be awarded on politically correct criteria.
It helps to be from a Third World country.
On the other hand, every now and again the Nobel committee screws up and gives the award to a writer of genuine merit. Of course, it still helps to be from a Third World country.
For example, would V.S. Naipaul have gotten the prize if he wasn’t Indian/Trinidadian/British?
His novel on African bed bugs sealed his Nobel.
If you trash America it usually nails down that Nobel Prize.
Pray America woke