8 Things to Know About the First Nigerian in Space

The news of a Nigerian man recently broke the internet for traveling to space alongside other tourists.

Owolabi M. Salis is a Nigerian and world traveller. On June 29, 2025, he made history as the first Nigerian to travel to space.

Here are 8 interesting facts to know about him:

1. He hails from Ikorodu, Lagos.
2. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from Ahmadu Bello University and his LL.B. (Legum Baccalaureus) in law from the University of Lagos, Nigeria. He further obtained his Barrister at Law (B.L.).
3. He is both a qualified attorney and a certified public accountant (CPA), holding licenses from Nigeria and the U.S.
4. He manages Salis Law, a global law firm headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, which he helped relocate there in 2002.
5. He is also the author of Equitocracy, a book that presents a vision for democracy prioritizing equity among diverse groups.
6. Salis is the first Black African to visit both the North and South Poles within a single season.
7. He became the first Nigerian to fly beyond the Kármán line, reaching 105 km above Earth aboard Blue Origin’s NS-33 mission.
8. Salis’ flight contributed to the growing number of suborbital travellers, making him the 123rd person to fly such a mission tracked by the Association of Space Explorers.