Sandra Aguebor Late update 20-06-2009 The First Lady Mechanic in Nigeria.Is A native of Benin city, Edo state, was born in the 70s into the family of late Mr. & Mrs. R.A Aguebor, she attended Ivbiotor Primary School, St Maria Goretti Grammar School in Benin, later to Benin Technical College for further technical skills and finally a graduate from Auchi Polythenic, all in Edo state, She also had a degree from The

Goethe Institute, a German in school based Lagos State, and hopes to further her education in International Relations. She secured her first employment with Bendel Transport Service now Edo Line in Benin City, as officer in charge of maintenance and repairs in the workshop for three years, and later with Nigeria Railway Corporation in Lagos for another three years before deciding to be on her own, while on her own, she managed fifteen trucks for a haulage company that distributes confectioneries to the North and other parts of Nigeria .

A devout Christian, Aguebor says that God spoke to her through a series of childhood dreams and told her that she should become a mechanic. With no other mechanics in the family, her father initially scoffed at the idea, until he traveled to the US in the 1980s and saw women working in positions considered “men only in Nigeria, back in Nigeria, he gave her his full support, but her mother was not in support, because she was afraid of the physical challenges associated with the profession. Nevertheless, she forged ahead with her dream at the age of Fourteen years, although Her first garagewas a patch of land covered with cardboard for shade, which was demolished by authority, but that did not deter her, today she is a brewing success. She has always aimed high. An avid reader of self-help books, Aguebor encourages her girls to think big and they do.

However some of her special attainments are, sponsorship to visit seven states in America by the U.S government in 2004 through the American consulate, and invitation to Aso Rock with her trainees by the president, Federal Republic of Nigeria Chief Aremu Olusegun Obasanjo.

The BBC Web Site & BBC World News, The New York Times, The South Africa Broadcasting Cooperation, (SABC) South Africa, The CNN World News, the Voice of Africa, USA and the Christian Mirror, USA have shown a documentation on her. Above all she has won several awards some of which are recognition by Emotan, celebrating the feminine virtue, African Nation Builders Gold award by Vision Africa and an award from Edo state Government for her Excellence in Mechanical Engineering. Sandra also got an award from ASHOKA, as an ASHOKA FELLOW, an organization that rewards people that have rare innovations and initiatives, in Washington DC. USA, this gave her the opportunity to feature the Global Book on Economic Empowerment published in Washington DC.

Sandra had featured on NTA channel 10 programme “On the Road, where she lectures and trains on tips for vehicle maintenance, every Saturday. She also organizes and trains corporate drivers on fault finding and rectification to properly maintain the companies fleet of cars.

Sandra has also been featured by Communication for Change (CFC) a 30 minutes documentary, shown on DSTV (35 Countries in the world) this showed her innovations and attracted enthusiastic response.

Sandra is the CEO/MD of Sandex Car Care, (specialist in maintenance, servicing of mostly used cars and sales of spare parts for commonly used cars), she maintains and services fleet of cars for MTN Communications, KAKAWA Discount house, Transocean, Alandick, Zenith Bank, Ikoyi Club, CNN News, BCC News, Games Shopping Complex, AIICO Insurance and lots of notable individuals.

Sandra Aguebor is the Founder/CEO, Lady Mechanic Initiative, (a non-for profit organization set up to train young ladies in auto mechanic profession and wealth creation).

Currently the MTN Foundation is funding the empowerment and training of 50 young ladies in Auto Mechanic profession as skill acquisition to create wealth. She also broke the barrier of the Muslim Community “ISMUF group”, by also taking 12 of their women into training even with all their HIJAB outfits, they still partake in all training.

Due to her uniqueness the Netherlands Government through Lagoon Hospital in collaboration with HYGEIA, “a health maintenance organization” nominated the Lady Mechanic Initiative for the community health insurance plan for all her trainees and families at little or no cost yearly.

Some other individuals and companies has also supported the organization, amongst which are,
Former First Lady of Lagos State Chief Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu. (Moral and Financial).
Former Ministry of Women Affairs, Lagos State (Moral support, Recognition, commendation)
Daisy Dajuma
WOTCLEF, Abuja (Ensured Federal government support and recognition)
Peugeot Automobile Nigeria Limited, (PAN) Kaduna (Certified Training) The girls are usually sent to the plat to train for one month
Motor Plus Workshops (Partner in training and employment)
Transmission by Lucille, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Support & training partnership)
Carlbury Garage, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (donation of tools, training on diagnosing in motor vehicles)
CHEVRON, (Training partner, Employment and Financial)
Stephanie Balikos( donation of training tools and office equipments )
Commissioner of Police Lagos state, (moral and security support)
Sara Hindle, Portsmouth, UK (fundraising and volunteer) capacity building and donation of office equipments
Mr. Henry Omoragbon (BOT), donation of office furniture

I must not fail to add that she is an aunt to all the ladies she has under her training.

Sandra always says to people, When You Empower Somebody, You Are Building A Nation Economically, Socially Technologically In Which Crime And Social Vices Would Be Reduced.

Today Sandra, The Lady Mechanic as she is popularly called, is known in so many countries all over the world and her dream is to see that women mechanic in another five years have Lady Mechanic Initiative franchise all over Nigeria and Africa as a whole.