Sandra Aguebor was the first Female Mechanical Engineer in Nigeria. She is the founder and CEO of Lady Mechanic Initiative and Sandex care Workshops. Sandra Aguebor has been a mechanic for 36 years and is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Lady Mechanic Initiative.
Lady Mechanic Initiative is a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching women the trade so that they can become financially independent. Women from all over Africa come to train at Lady Mechanic Initiative where they take classes in mechanics, professional driving, motor repairs, and even house plumbing. Since the inception of the Lady Mechanic Initiative, over 4000 girls have been empowered. Today, they are working with reputable auto companies such as Toyota and Mitsubishi. Others have also gone on to create their workshops. This feat contributed to her appointment as the Vice President of the Nigerian Skill Sector Council.
Several international organizations like BBC World News, The New York Times, The South Africa Broadcasting Cooperation, The CNN World News, the Voice of Africa, Aljazeera, etc, have shown quite many documentaries on her.
We were lucky to have an interview with Engr. Sandra Aguebor.
Q- You have been in the Engineering industry for more than thirty years, what is the best thing about being a female engineer?
Answer- Having been in the engineering industry for more than thirty years, it has been something I can say is quite phenomenal. There’s something about the mechanic profession that makes women dislike it, they feel like it is a man’s job, so even some who started years back dropped it, they probably got discouraged along the line. The best thing for me about being a female engineer is the kind of attraction I get, the uniqueness of being a female engineer because it is a male-dominated profession, so when you see a female doing the same thing that males are known for it is quite phenomenal. It catches the attention of people. It is like “wow! A lady is doing this!” Recently someone commented on my video by CNN in a series called The Great Big Story, saying that he didn’t even know that there was a female engineer in Nigeria. The best thing about being a female mechanical engineer is the inspiration and encouragement that I bring to the womenfolk, the challenge I throw to the male folk.
Q- How did you handle being the only female student in your university days?
Answer- Being the only female student back in school is memorable. Do you know what it is to be among guys every single day, it means you have to be double smart, twice as strong, twice as hardworking as the males? I trusted God in everything that I did, and while being a student, I ensured that I maintained my boundaries, and I put in twice as much work as my male colleagues.
Q- Outside being an engineer, what are some of your hobbies?
Answer- I love reading a lot, I read books by John Mason and John Maxwell especially. Readers are leaders. I have understood that if I am going to be better at anything that I do, I must be grounded in terms of leadership. So, Brian Tracy is also one of my favorite authors. I also love motivational speaking, speaking to encourage the youth, challenging them, I just love speaking, so I have gotten several invitations to speak at events locally and internationally, and it has been a wonderful experience for me.
Q- Many women are torn between having a good career and handling the conventional roles of womanhood. Ma, how do you handle it?
Answer- Right from time, I have always believed that your family is your first ministry. Your family is your primary career. If you fail as a family woman, then you have failed as a woman. One of the persons I look up to is Folorunsho Alakija, who happens to be the richest woman in Nigeria, yet she handles her home with care. She cooks for her husband herself, just imagine that! I see it as a misplacement of priorities when a woman takes her secular career much more than her family career. If I am trying to help the youth out there get out of social vices, it will be foolish of me to neglect my home and then my children degenerate into the same thing I am trying to save others from. So, I try as much as possible to strike a balance, my home comes first. I take care of my kids, and my husband, before going out there to impact other people’s lives, because I know if I fail at home, I have failed outside as well.
Q- We understand that since 2004, the Lady Mechanic initiative has been able to empower about 4,000 girls and embark on more than 50 projects. What are some of the challenges you have faced over time?
Answer- Since 2004, we have been able to empower thousands of girls. Everytime I remember how we came to the streets of Lagos and brought several girls from circumstances that their depressing situations have placed them. We have done some viral campaigns, reaching out to girls in brothels and other places. All this has happened not without challenges, and challenges make it more interesting, because they are signs of growth. We faced a challenge because of convincing girls that mechanical engineering is a good job for them as ladies. Back in those days seeing a lady choosing to be a mechanic was laughable, but when they see how far I have come they become inspired. So, when you see ladies wanting to be mechanics, it is no longer ridiculous or funny. It is something society is coming to embrace. We also had financial issues, it was a major problem. Lady Mechanic Initiative is an NGO, so we are not for profit, so we are not for profit, so we had to partner with some agencies and multi-national bodies to see that they assist in training these girls and to bring them out of the trouble of social vices and depressing situations to becoming socially and economically relevant in the society.
Q-What are some of the projects the world should be expecting from the Lady Mechanic initiative in the future?
Answer- Even though we have trained about 4,000, I still have a dream. By 2030, I want to have trained 10,000 girls. That might seem like a huge figure, but we just have to dream big. It is even possible to train 20,000, or 30,000. If we have facilities to house these girls and see that they are well and thoroughly trained. The goal of 10,000 girls by 2030 is something that I am going to celebrate wonderfully. We are going tell the whole world that it is possible to dominate as a lady. There is no limit to what a woman can do. The world should expect the coming together of the first female mechanical engineers of the 54 countries in Africa, and we are going to have a conference. I wish that comes up during our 20th anniversary in 2024. It is going to be phenomenal.
Q- How have you been able to make so much impact in a male-dominated industry? How do you relate with your male colleagues?
Answer- It is something that has to do with wisdom. I would define it with the word ‘wisdom’. The bible says wisdom is profitable to direct, so finding myself in a male-dominated industry, I need to understand that most of these people are married. If you understand psychology. You’ll understand that one thing men cherish the most is respect. They like to be respected, so even if I am among my juniors who are males, I still respect them like they are my boss. In the skill sector council where I am the vice president, I still call everyone ‘my boss’, ‘my oga’. Respect is reciprocal, when you respect others it comes back to you, so I do my best to ensure that I relate with them with respect, care, and humility. So, when they see that, they do everything in their capacity to return the favor to help me in any project I am trying to work on. It is a practice that requires wisdom in a large dose.
Q- Who are some of the other female figures in our society that you admire?
Answer- There are several other female figures that I admire. I have mentioned Folorunsho Alakija. The thing I love about her the most is how she cares so much about her family despite her wealth and influence. Unlike some women who become successful and their husbands can’t look them in the face anymore. Many women relegate their families to the background when they become successful, but she is not like that. Another person I admire and love so much is my mother and mentor, the new director-general of the World Trade Organization, Ngozi Okonjo Iwela. We met conference years back, we discussed and she gave me some fantastic advice about how I can forge ahead in life, that was when she was the Minister of Finance here in Nigeria.
Q- What has been your driving force over the years?
Answer- One thing that has been my driving force is my encounter with Jesus Christ I started chasing a career at the tender age of 12, and at that time, Jesus appeared to me in my dream, and told me that the wealth that would come from it would not just be for me alone but also to change other lives and this God has helped me to achieve over the years, and I look forward to doing more. So, if there’s anything that is forging me on, it is the encouragement and challenge I got that night at the age of 12 from Jesus Christ himself. When I narrated the experience to my mother, she said. ‘No, my daughter cannot be a mechanic. But, my dad, of blessed memory embraced the idea. Also, the successes I have enjoyed over the years are part of the forces driving me continually. Each success is a step for me to go higher, forge ahead and empower lives.
Q- We also understand that you started chasing your career as early as the age of 13. Ma, please what advice would you give to young girls trying to find a path in life?
Answer- My greatest advice to young girls is for them to believe in themselves. As a girl, don’t let anyone make you feel like you are a secondary creature in society. This is not about feminism, it is about equity, even if we are helpers for the males, we are not to be dominated by the male. God has given us a voice, there is something unique about you. You have a goal, a destiny, and a purpose, so all these things you should hold dear to your heart, pray for God to guide you and direct you. Go for what you love, and follow your passion. If your parents are trying to discourage you from following your passion, please speak out. Reach out to any successful woman in society. You can reach out to me also; we can help you. Above all, pray, trust God and you will achieve success.
THE COMMENTARY BOX 
Beautiful, indeed an inspiration for all to learn, pursue and conquer.
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Wow!!!!!!, God bless you for this impartation to people’s lives( humanity)
I sincerely appreciate your efforts to change the minds of the youths, we can do it!!
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