Women should embrace skills in automotive industry – First female mechanic

Sandra Aguebor, the first lady mechanic in Nigeria, has called on women to embrace skills in the automotive industry.

Aguebor, who is also the Vice President of the Sector Skills Council (SSC) for the Automotive Industry, made the call in an interview with the newsmen in Abuja on Friday.

She said women could make a decent living by acquiring skills in any of the specialised areas of the automotive industry instead of waiting for white-collar jobs.

Aguebor also said that with the present economic situation, women need to support their husbands, and learning a skill can bring extra income for the family.

She, therefore, encouraged women to come into the automotive industry.

“I started empowering women in 2004 and we have over 2,000 female mechanics in Nigeria with different skill levels.

“Lady mechanics are everywhere, in Coscharis and Elizade, It is a profession that has come to stay for women.

“You can have a white-collar job, but if you have a skill, nobody can take it away from you; therefore, women should not limit themselves.

“Even as a female corps member, you do not have to start going around the streets looking for a job when you can use your hand to learn a skill.

“If you want a mentor, I am available. We can counsel and train you at the council. ”

Aguebor also urged mothers to ensure their children were equipped with skills, especially during the holidays, instead of engaging in frivolous activities.

The lady mechanic said people were running away from the industry because of the time spent on training either in the mechanical or electrical field of the industry.

She, however, said the duration was being reduced for women to learn in any of the specialised areas in the industry.

“When I was training to become a mechanic, I spent six years.

“We started breaking it down at the lady mechanic. It means a woman can come and train as a service and brake changer for six months or a diagnostics technician for six months

“Women that have been tailors before come and train as upholsterers to take care of the interior of the car for six months and they make money from it.

"Also, a woman can do body and spraying, that is, panel beating of a vehicle, for six months. We are doing this to encourage more women to enter the profession. ”

Aguebor said women faced some challenges in the industry, which included inadequate equipment and setting them up after training.

She therefore called on the Federal Government to help the sector through the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NDACC) to prevent those trained from leaving the industry.

"The government of Nigeria needs to encourage skilled workers, so we have more people coming into the industry.”

She said the NDACC should work with the Ministry of Housing to build garages where technicians could take them on lease.