West Texas, USA – A proud moment for Nigeria as Owolabi Salis, a US-based Nigerian lawyer and politician, has become the first Nigerian to travel to space. Salis made history on Sunday, July 1, 2025, as one of six space tourists aboard Blue Origin’s NS-33 mission, a private spaceflight operated by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ aerospace company.
The 10-minute suborbital flight, which launched from West Texas, reached a height of 105.2 kilometres, crossing the internationally recognised boundary of space known as the Kármán line.
Salis flew alongside fellow adventurers Allie Kuehner, Carl Kuehner, Leland Larson, Freddie Rescigno Jr., and Jim Sitkin. Together, they boarded the capsule, experienced weightlessness, saw the curve of the Earth, and safely returned, making it a flight of a lifetime.
“It’s Not Just a Trip, It’s a Spiritual Journey”
Speaking just before liftoff, Salis said:
“This mission is more than just a trip into space. It’s a spiritual journey, a call to inspire future generations.”
He expressed hope that his space adventure would ignite interest in science and space exploration across Africa, especially among the younger generation.
Who is Owolabi Salis?
Born in Ikorodu, Lagos, Salis is not new to breaking boundaries. He is a chartered accountant and attorney licensed to practise both in Nigeria and the United States. A man of many hats, Salis is also an author, a philanthropist, and a known face in Nigerian politics, having run for the governorship of Lagos under the Alliance for Democracy in 2019.
He is the author of the book “Equitocracy”, which advocates for fairness and equal opportunity in governance.
That’s not all, Salis also made headlines previously as the first Black African to visit both the Arctic and Antarctic in the same season. And now, with this space mission, he has officially become the first Nigerian to break into outer space.
A Huge Step for Nigeria
Salis’s space ticket didn’t come cheap. While the exact cost of the trip was not disclosed, reports from previous Blue Origin flights suggest passengers pay up to $1 million per seat. That’s roughly ₦1.5 billion naira in today’s exchange rate. But for Salis, the experience and inspiration it brings to his country is priceless.
This historic flight not only cements Salis’s name in the record books but also marks a new chapter for Nigeria in global space history.