By John Ogunsemore
A former gubernatorial candidate in Lagos State, Owolabi Salis has become the first Nigerian to travel to space.
The New York, United States-based lawyer achieved the feat as one of six passengers aboard Blue Origin’s NS-33 mission, its 13th human spaceflight.
Space in Africa reported that the Blue Origin New Shepard launch vehicle lifted off from the company’s West Texas site on Sunday, June 29, 2025.
Other passengers onboard the 10-minute suborbital flight included Allie and Carl Kuehner, Leland Larson, Freddie Rescigno Jr., and Jim Sitkin.
The flight took the crew past the Kármán line, the internationally recognised boundary of space, reaching a peak altitude of 105.2 kilometres.
Salis, the Ikorodu, Lagos-born lawyer, described the journey as a “convergence of science and spirit.”
“This mission is more than just a trip into space, it’s a spiritual journey, a call to inspire future generations,” he said before lift off.
Salis was the gubernatorial candidate of Alliance for Democracy (AD) in the 2019 election in Lagos.