On June 29, 2025, Owolabi Salis etched his name in history as the first Nigerian to journey into space aboard Blue Origin’s NS-33 mission.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that Salis was one of six private astronauts aboard Blue Origin’s NS-33 suborbital mission, which launched from the arid plains of West Texas, United States.
Joining him on the flight were Allie Kuehner, Carl Kuehner, Leland Larson, Freddie Rescigno Jr, and Jim Sitkin.
According to the official report, the expedition soared past the Kármán line, the demarcation widely regarded as the threshold of outer space, reaching a zenith of 105.2 kilometres above sea level.
Below are five things to know about Owolabi Salis;
1. He was born in Ikorodu, Lagos State. He graduated from Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Nigeria, where he majored in accounting and obtained a bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
2. Salis is a chartered accountant and attorney licensed to practice in both Nigeria and the United States.
3. Beyond his professional achievements, Salis is the author of Equitocracy, a book proposing a democratic system rooted in fairness and equity across diverse communities.
4. Salis is no stranger to pushing boundaries. Before his spaceflight, he became the first Black African to visit both the Arctic and Antarctic in the same season.
5. Salis has been a persistent figure in the politics of Lagos State. He has contested for the Lagos governorship three times. In 2003 and 2007, the Chartered Accountant contested and lost the PDP Lagos State governorship primaries. He was the Alliance for Democracy’s flag bearer in 2019.
