Women You Should Know: Sandra Aguebor-Ekperuoh

The campaign for women empowerment, gender equality, and the push to include more women in global affairs is no longer a movement to be ignored. Women are increasingly being included in government cabinets, running for offices, and holding positions that have historically been held by men. For Sandra Aguebor-Ekperuoh however, her narrative is different. She is self-employed and renowned as Nigeria’s first female mechanic who is also the founder/CEO of Lady Mechanic Initiative (LMI) in Lagos. Sandra’s story is exceptional. Of all professions ventured into by women, auto repair is probably one with the lowest percentage of women. According to her, being a mechanic is a dream she has always had, and one that she ventured into since teenagehood. In 1985, she went into a career as a mechanic, and few years later, she opened her own repair shop. One of the myths about people who work in the repair industry has been categorically dispelled by Sandra. She is a well educated lady with degrees from Benin Technical College, Auchi Polytechnic, and the German school, Goethe Institute, in Lagos. In 2011, she received a certificate in Entrepreneurial Management from the Pan-African University in Lagos. There is no doubt that Mrs. Aguebor-Ekperuoh’s line of work is a unique one for women, but when given credit for her work, she has been known to say “It is not because we are women, but because we are competent in our fields”. This competence has earned Sandra several awards, documentaries on international media, expansion of workforce, and global recognition. In 2012, she received the National Productivity Order of Merit (NPOM) Award from President Goodluck Jonathan, and she has partnered with companies like Coca-Cola and MTN, as well as institutions like the Federal Ministry of Women’s Affairs and the Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands, to train women as mechanics. It is Sandra’s belief that women do not have to travel to Europe to be successful; neither do they have to be limited by a history of prostitution, poverty, or lack of education. As far as she is concerned, any woman can empower herself, and she aims to help them achieve this by giving them mechanical and technical skills that they can use to set up their own businesses. Prior to establishing her own very successful workshop, Sandra worked with the Edo Line transport service and the Nigeria Railway Corporation as a repair and maintenance officer. Since the inception of the Lady Mechanic Initiative, around 700 women have been trained as mechanics under various sponsorship programs that the LMI is partnered with. The training at LMI is free, and successful graduates have been known to set up their own auto workshops or go on to work for successful automobile companies across the country.   About the author: Amina Salau is a writer and editor running The Illuminated Pen. You can find her online at www.theilluminatedpen.com and on Twitter (@_Aminah)

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This article was first published on 29th January 2015

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