Sandra Aguebor or Aguebor-Ekperuoh is a Nigerian

mechanic A mechanic is an artisan, skilled tradesperson, or technician who uses tools to build, maintain, or repair machinery, especially cars. Duties Most mechanics specialize in a particular field, such as auto body mechanics, air conditioning and r ...

. She is reported as being the first woman mechanic in Nigeria. She is also the founder of the Lady Mechanic Initiative, which trains sexually abused and underprivileged women to become mechanics and fend for themselves.

Early life and education

Sandra Aguebor was born in 1970s in

Benin Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north ...

, Nigeria to the late Mr. & Mrs. R.A Aguebor.she began her educational journey at Ivbiotor Primary School. Subsequently, she attended St. Maria Goretti Grammar School in Benin, followed by Benin Technical College, where she honed her technical skills. Her educational pursuits culminated in graduating from

Auchi Polytechnic Auchi Polytechnic is a Federal Polytechnic in Auchi, Edo State, Nigeria. It is one of the first four Polytechnics established in Nigeria. It has over 10,000 students enrolled in business, technology, environmental and arts courses. Histo ...

Edo State Edo, commonly known as Edo State, is a state located in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. As of 2006 National population census, the state was ranked as the 24th populated state (3,233,366) in Nigeria, However there was controversy ...

. Additionally, she holds a degree from Goethe Institute, a German in school based Lagos State.

Career

After graduation, she embarked on a career that included working for Edo Line and

Nigeria Railway Corporation Nigerian Railway Corporation (commonly abbreviated as NRC) is the state-owned enterprise with exclusive rights to operate railways in Nigeria. History and legislative background The Nigerian Railway Corporation traces its history to the year ...

. Following the launch of her auto repair garage, despite facing setbacks like the demolition of her workshop, Sandra persevered. Transitioning to a mobile workshop, she provided on-the-spot emergency vehicle service along Lagos freeways and eventually established two more garages in the city. Today, she passionately dedicates her time to empowering young women, rescuing them from the streets and fostering their development by imparting valuable skills, particularly in the

automotive industry The automotive industry comprises a wide range of company, companies and organizations involved in the design, Business development, development, manufacturing, marketing, and selling of motor vehicles. It is one of the world's largest industry ...

. Speaking on gender inequality and

male privilege Male privilege is the system of advantages or rights that are available to men solely on the basis of their sex. A man's access to these benefits may vary depending on how closely they match their society's ideal masculine norm. Academic studi ...

, Aguebor explained that she had to put in five times more effort more than men to be taken seriously, however, she decried being labelled "lady mechanic" by her colleagues instead of just "mechanic". In 2015, she was the subject of a film, produced by

Al Jazeera Al Jazeera ( ar, الجزيرة, translit-std=DIN, translit=al-jazīrah, , "The Island") is a state-owned Arabic-language international radio and TV broadcaster of Qatar. It is based in Doha and operated by the media conglomerate Al Jazeera ...

, titled ''Sandra Aguebor: The Lady Mechanic''. The film won awards at New York Film Festival. Aguebor was nominated for the COWLSO award, an initiative established by

Lagos State Lagos State ( yo, Ìpínlẹ̀ Èkó) is a States of Nigeria, state in South West (Nigeria), southwestern Nigeria. Of the 36 States of Nigeria, states, it is both the List of Nigerian states by population, most populous and List of Nigerian state ...

government in 1974 to honour individuals that have contributed to the "social welfare of the state". She was presented the inspirational woman of the year award by Dolapo Osinbajo and Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, who noted that she used her "skills and talent to make positive impact to the society in an area dominated by men". She was also given a national merit award by federal government of Nigeria. Speaking to ''

Vanguard The vanguard (also called the advance guard) is the leading part of an advancing military formation. It has a number of functions, including seeking out the enemy and securing ground in advance of the main force. History The vanguard derives fr ...

'' at the graduation ceremony of 50 female mechanics, Aguebor disclosed that she has trained over 700 mechanics so far. She is married with children.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aguebor, Sandra 1970s births Mechanical engineers Pan-Atlantic University alumni Nigerian feminists Living people