US-based Lawyer Owolabi Salis Becomes First Nigerian to Travel to Space
Nigerian-born lawyer and politician Owolabi Salis has made history as the first Nigerian to travel to space. Salis was one of six passengers aboard Blue Origin’s NS-33 mission, which launched from West Texas on June 29, 2025.
The 10-minute suborbital flight, operated by Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin under its New Shepard programme, took the crew past the Kármán line—the internationally recognized boundary of space—reaching an altitude of 105.2 kilometers.
Salis flew alongside Allie Kuehner, Carl Kuehner, Leland Larson, Freddie Rescigno Jr., and Jim Sitkin. He now joins the exclusive list of citizen astronauts who have ventured into space through private spaceflight initiatives.
Before liftoff, Salis described the mission as more than a scientific feat. “This mission is more than just a trip into space—it’s a spiritual journey, a call to inspire future generations,” he said, adding that he hopes his experience will spark space exploration interest across Africa.
Born in Ikorodu, Lagos, Salis is a chartered accountant and attorney licensed in both Nigeria and the U.S.
No stranger to adventure, Salis previously became the first Black African to visit both the Arctic and Antarctic within the same season.
He has also been a prominent figure in Lagos politics—seeking the PDP governorship ticket in 2003 and 2007, contesting under the Action Party of Nigeria in 2007, and running as the Alliance for Democracy’s candidate in the 2019 elections. He later challenged the 2019 results in court, but the tribunal upheld Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s victory.
