In a candid interview spanning decades of triumphs and trials, Owolabi Salis – the multifaceted legal luminary, chartered accountant, astronaut, and politician – revealed the extraordinary journey of his life. From the communal vibrancy of 1960s Lagos to the gritty subways of New York and the vast expanse of space, Salis shared stories of loss, reinvention, and unyielding purpose. “Taxi driving made me know places in the U.S.,” he quipped, highlighting a pivotal chapter that grounded his American dream in the wheel of a humble Chrysler.
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/idrinstitute.png")
Salis’s early years were forged in Fadeyi, a bustling Lagos neighborhood during the Nigerian Civil War. As a young boy, he witnessed federal troops shielding displaced families from the South-South and South-East amid the era’s volatility. Yet amid the tension, childhood thrived with communal warmth. “In the 60s and early 70s, we used to live together. Communal living was very strong,” Salis recalled. “A child didn’t have to be yours in order to discipline him or her.” Neighbors gathered by windows to watch black-and-white television broadcasts, practicing cross-disciplinary co-parenting that kept the young ones on the straight path.
Religion wove seamlessly into daily life: mornings at St. Patrick Catholic School in Yaba, evenings at Islamic school. Festivals like Ileya and Christmas united everyone, with families piling into guardians’ vehicles for joyous outings, even pitting rams in playful fights. Tragedy struck early when Salis lost his father, thrusting him into his aunt’s care. “Growing up in those days… there was no discrimination,” he said, crediting the era’s collective ethos for shielding youth from waywardness.
Nicknamed “Owoblow” alongside other Owolabis, young Salis harbored eclectic dreams – musician one day, pilot the next. His academic prowess shone in secondary school, where he excelled in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, though English lagged. Initially destined for medicine, he pivoted to accounting. Late-night study sessions at YabaTech and the University of Lagos fueled his drive, securing admissions to the University of Ife and Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) in Zaria. He chose ABU, topping his class with a 2:1 just shy of First Class – outshone only by a half-blind Lagos classmate. For his Master’s, he returned to the University of Lagos, rubbing shoulders with future heavyweights like ex-Gombe Governor Ibrahim Dakwambo and Lagos Attorney General Lawal Pedro.
ABU’s Kongo Campus, a melting pot of ethnicities, ignited Salis’s activism. “I contested for the position of Secretary-General of the Students’ Union,” he revealed. “I was very active and did a lot of research on democracy because of the diversity I saw.” The university’s peaceful coexistence amid national fractures left an indelible mark.
Graduation thrust him into high-stakes professional waters. As a newly minted Chartered Accountant, Salis played a key role in averting the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN)’s near-bankruptcy in 1989-1990. “I had to run a lot of programmes for them, with which they raised a lot of money,” he said, chuckling at forgotten details revived by the interview. He spearheaded nationwide Value Added Tax (VAT) training and keynoted ICAN’s 25th and 30th conferences.
Balancing accountancy’s structure with law’s radical edge came naturally. “Law actually takes over Accounting,” Salis explained. He founded a consultancy and law firm on Isaac John Street in Fadeyi, Lagos, harmonizing the disciplines.
Politics beckoned during Gen. Sani Abacha’s iron-fisted regime. Salis operated as an “underground NADECO man,” supporting the pro-democracy movement under leaders like “Baba Bush.” His activism extended abroad after relocating to New York in 1997 – a move seeded by a 1991 visit that ended dramatically on his visa’s final day.
In New York, Salis joined the African Fund rights group, connecting him to Jumoke Ogunkeyede, the unsung architect of NADECO’s U.S. operations. “That is the guy, I know for sure, who is the real NADECO guy abroad,” Salis urged, calling for President Bola Tinubu to honor him. Ogunkeyede coordinated high-profile testimonies from figures like Gen. Alani Akinrinade, Prof. Wole Soyinka, Hafsat Abiola, and U.S. Ambassador Walter Carrington. Their efforts, including events where Ogunkeyede’s home was torched, fueled Salis’s commitment. Asylum battles raged, but victory came through relentless advocacy.
New York’s realities demanded grit. “Anyone that comes here has to put his head on the subway,” Salis noted. He secured housing, converted his credentials – passing the ACCA exams and New York Bar – and dove into survival mode. Auctioning a Chrysler for $160, he turned to taxi driving. “Taxi driving made me know places in U.S.,” he reflected, the experience mapping the city’s veins and veins of opportunity. From there, he launched a law firm opposite the Federal Reserve Bank.
Breakthroughs followed swiftly. Focusing on immigration law, Salis’s courtroom research helped hundreds secure approvals without upfront fees, establishing him as a trusted figure for clients who often rebuffed rival lawyers. He even supported an immigrants’ magazine amplifying their voices.
Today, Salis’s legacy soars literally. As an astronaut, his spaceflight was a mission probing humanity’s fractures. “I did a lot of research on diversity problems such as: Why are people fighting?” he shared. Pinpointing race and religion as twin sources of conflict, he preached unity: “We should not be fighting if we know who the Almighty Lord is.”
Above all, Salis wants to be remembered not for titles, but for impact. “I want to be remembered as the man who touched so many lives.” From Fadeyi’s shared festivals to New York’s crowded queues and the stars’ silent void, his story is a testament to reinvention’s quiet power – and the maps redrawn by a cabbie’s wheel.
The publishing firm has produced an impressive catalogue of authoritative legal texts authored by its proprietor, Basil Momodu, Esq.,
For inquiries, contact:
📧 momodulawpublishing@yahoo.com
📞 07051822705
______________________________________________________________________
“Timely And Groundbreaking” — Babalola, Nnawuchi Release Casebook On Privacy & Data Protection In Nigeria
A timely new publication, Casebook on Privacy & Data Protection in Nigeria, co-authored by Olumide Babalola and Uchenna Nnawuchi, 📘Casebook on Privacy & Data Protection in Nigeria is now available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/8TmFZrd
______________________________________________________________________
Groundbreaking Guide For Lawyers: Adigwe Publishes ‘Artificial Intelligence For Lawyers’ With Free Research eBook
Authored by Ben Ijeoma Adigwe Esq., ACiarb (UK), LL.M, Dip. in Artificial Intelligence, Director at the Delta State Ministry of Justice, Asaba, Nigeria.
How to Order:
📞 Call, Text, or WhatsApp: 08034917063 | 07055285878
📧 Email: benadigwe1@gmail.com
🌎 Website: www.benadigwe.com
Ebook Version: Access it directly online at https://selar.com/prv626
______________________________________________________________________
Explore Nigeria’s Constitutional System — 17 Chapters, 924 Pages Of Insight By Prof. Hagler Sunny Okorie
The books are available for purchase at:
Online: www.educodex.com | www.selar.com | www.amazon.com | www.mikeozekhome.com
Enquiries: +234 704 044 9375 | +234 814 813 4773 | +234 816 872 3532
Email: educodexl@gmail.com
______________________________________________________________________
[A MUST HAVE] Evidence Act Demystified With Recent And Contemporary Cases And Materials
Available now for NGN 40,000 at ASC Publications, 10, Boyle Street, Onikan, Lagos. Beside High Court, TBS. Email publications@ayindesanni.com or WhatsApp +2347056667384. Purchase Link: https://paystack.com/buy/evidence-act-complete-annotation
______________________________________________________________________
Alexander Payne Co. Law Reports
Contact & Orders 📞 0704 444 4777 | 0704 444 4999 | 0818 199 9888 🌐 www.alexandernigeria.com
