The Rise of the Nigerian Female Mechanic Breaking Barriers in a Male World

LAGOS — In a workshop on the outskirts of Lagos, 28-year-old Amaka Okonkwo is under a Toyota Camry, ratchet in hand, diagnosing a gearbox problem with the confidence of someone who has done it a thousand times. She has. She has been a mechanic for six years and runs her own workshop with two apprentices, both of them women.

“When I started, nobody believed I was the mechanic. Customers would ask for the man in charge. I would tell them I am the man in charge. Most of them come back now. My work speaks for itself,” Amaka said, emerging from under the car to smile at a question about her daily experience.

Amaka is part of a small but growing community of Nigerian women breaking into the automobile mechanics trade. The Federal Government’s TVET programs have contributed to this shift by training women in technical skills that were previously seen as exclusively male domains.

Barriers Are Real But Shrinking

Female mechanics in Nigeria face genuine barriers. Customer scepticism is common. Male colleagues in shared workshops sometimes resist their presence. Physical demands are real, though no more challenging for trained women than for trained men. And the informal networks through which mechanics build their customer bases are predominantly male.

However, several female mechanics said they have found that their gender can be an advantage. Female customers, in particular, often prefer dealing with female mechanics who they feel are less likely to take advantage of their limited technical knowledge. Word-of-mouth referrals among women have helped several female mechanics build loyal client bases faster than expected.

Industry groups have begun recognising the emerging female mechanic community. The Automobile Technicians Association of Nigeria said it is actively encouraging women to join and has created mentorship programs pairing experienced female mechanics with new entrants. Amaka said she wants to train 100 female mechanics before she turns 40. Given her track record, most people who know her believe she will.