The first Nigerian who travelled to space; a United States-based lawyer, Mr Owolabi Salis, has narrated how he was able to travel on diapers, with alligator paper and kola nut.

Having been one of the six passengers on Blue Origin’s NS-33 mission, which launched from West Texas on June 29, 2025, Salis in an interview conducted on Your View, a TVC programme, stated that he was not scared while at it.

According to him, the travel was a pilgrimage and pilgrimage is not limited to a particular religion.

He also narrated how he has travelled to over 100 countries and important places on the planet.

Therefore, based on his love for travelling, Salis noted that he decided to do a pilgrimage to space and was accepted.

Furthermore, he disclosed that he was not scared on space because he is a member of the “Soulmaker Ministry”.

He explained; “It is a ministry that focuses on the creator of our soul, the maker and owner of all souls. And we have had this ministry for a long time. Going to space makes us really confirm the importance of the soul-maker. We all know that there is some kind of spirit being, a supernatural being up there that gives everybody a soul.

“When I say give a soul, it means your first roots to life. When your mother conceived you, for example, a soul is given to your mum, and that is your first root to life.”

On how the journey went, Salis narrated how their journey was delayed from June 21 untill June 29 because 21st June is the solar solstice day(when the sun is at the equator).

He narrated how they were told to use he restroom for the last time before their take off since they wouldn’t be able to urinate once their journey started.

“We were asked to use diapers. Of course, we were in diapers, which is okay. I had to take an alligator pepper and bitter kola. When you are doing something serious and you take the alligator pepper and the bitter kola, you look more serious. Shortly, the thing blasted off. Inside the capsule, you feel something is moving, but not dangerously,” he explained.

He further narrated how it gets dark in space; “you see a dark, white, dark area. You are probably going to the next planet, or wherever it is going to be, but you see, you will know when you get to space, you feel like the spirit, like something is leaving you, like the soul is leaving your body.”

According to him, when it got dark as expected, he went to the almighty as he prayed for himself, family and friends.

“‘I am here, although I do not see you, you can see me’,” he told the almighty (according to him).

He explained that the God of the universe whom he spoke with was different from all other gods anyone knew.

“It is not the Zeus of the sky. The Lord of the universe is never seen, and will not be seen,” he added.