Nigerian-born lawyer and finance expert, Chief Owolabi Salis, has been officially recognised by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) and listed on Wikipedia as the first Nigerian to travel to outer space.

The FAI, the world governing body for air sports and aeronautical records, defines spaceflight as any journey above 100 kilometres (62 miles) from sea level, a milestone that earns qualifying travellers the prestigious Astronaut Wings.

Wikipedia’s updated records place Salis as the 702nd person in human history to cross this threshold, joining a list that begins with Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin in 1961 and American astronaut Alan Shepard shortly thereafter. According to the database, only 720 individuals have made such a journey since the dawn of space exploration.

Salis achieved the feat on June 29 aboard Blue Origin’s NS-23 mission, travelling alongside six other crew members, including Allie Kuehner, Carl Kuehner, Leland Larson, Freddie Rescigno Jr., and Jim Sitkin. The spacecraft, launched from West Texas, reached an altitude of approximately 105 kilometres, crossing the Kármán Line, the internationally recognised boundary of space. Salis described the experience as “spiritually rewarding,” linking it to his work as leader and founder of Soul Makers Ministry Worldwide.

The recognition has sparked calls for a lasting national tribute. Renowned California-based monument designer Steve N. Barber has announced plans to create a permanent monument honouring Salis’s achievement, which he says has elevated Nigeria’s global standing. The structure, expected to last a thousand years, will feature inspirational inscriptions and is scheduled for completion and unveiling on July 4 next year, coinciding with U.S. Independence Day celebrations. It will later be transported to Salis’s birthplace.

Barber has urged the Nigerian government, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and corporate organisations to support the project, positioning it as a symbol to inspire future generations of Nigerians and people of African descent to pursue space exploration.

Reflecting on his place in history, Salis remarked on the rarity of space travel: “Our planet is about five billion years old, and approximately 117 billion people have lived on it. Yet, only an infinitesimal number, 720, have been to space. To be among them, and to represent Nigeria, is immensely gladdening.”