Nigerian-American Owolabi Salis Becomes First Nigerian to Travel to Space

Owolabi Salis, a Nigerian-American lawyer and accountant, has achieved a historic milestone as the first Nigerian to venture into space.

On June 29, 2025, Salis joined five other civilian passengers aboard Blue Origin’s NS-33 suborbital flight, which launched from West Texas. The crew experienced several minutes of weightlessness before the spacecraft touched down safely.

The approximately 10-minute journey was part of Blue Origin’s New Shepard programme, Jeff Bezos’s venture that enables private citizens to access spaceflight without the rigorous preparation typically demanded of career astronauts.

Before launch, Salis reflected on the significance of the moment. “This mission is more than just a trip into space, it’s a spiritual journey, a call to inspire future generations,” he stated. He expressed hope that his accomplishment would encourage young Africans to pursue careers in science, technology, and space exploration.

Born in Ikorodu, Lagos State, Salis holds professional credentials as both a chartered accountant and an attorney, qualified to practise law in Nigeria and the United States. He has also authored Equitocracy, a political treatise advocating for governance based on equality and justice.

This is not Salis’s first groundbreaking achievement. He previously set a record as the first Black African to visit the Arctic and Antarctic poles during a single season.

Politically active in Lagos State, Salis has mounted several gubernatorial campaigns across different parties. He pursued the People’s Democratic Party nomination in 2003 and 2007, ran as the Action Party of Nigeria candidate in 2007, and represented the Alliance for Democracy in 2019. After the 2019 election, he filed an unsuccessful legal challenge against Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s victory.

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