The practice of engineering for women in Nigeria has proven to be quite challenging being that it’s a profession that is male-dominated. Its indeed a rare sight to have women in overalls, messed up in engine oil and fixing a vehicle. Mrs Agboneni Osazoduwa the CEO of Neni’s Autocare is not only one of the few that have taken this rarely trodden path but is also one using the profession as a powerful tool for promoting Women Advocacy and Gender Equality. No doubt, the “lady mechanic” as she is popularly known is defining the practice of mechanical engineering in the automobile sector in style. Engineers Forum had an impactful session with her in an interview we share with you.
Tell us a little about your background
I am a mechanical engineer by the profession that’s because I read mechanical engineering from the University of Benin, and have had the opportunity of practising in the automobile industry since 2003 even while I was in school much before I founded Neni’s Autocare
How was the Idea Neni’s Autocare conceived?
I have always thought I would be a consultant though and I already had a mindset that I would work for ten years before I established mine, I have always had the mind to become an entrepreneur, so when the opportunity came for me to become an entrepreneur I thought of where should I play? I should follow my passion and it was in the automotive industry, that’s the place I have had the opportunity of working for some years. Even my mom and my sisters, when I travelled home for an auntie’s funeral, they were like ‘’Oduwa , why not open an auto diagnostic center instead of working for someone’’, so I told my husband who strongly consented and that was it for me, it was smooth ride for me to begin the business .
Your company was listed as one of the most successful enterprises from thousands of beneficiaries of the TEEP. Tell us about your experience with the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Program (TEEP).
To me, it was a wonderful experience. The TEEP was a launchpad for me, I came in contact with the program two weeks after I set up my business in 2015, so I was one of the first 1000 beneficiaries and at that point you know the Tony Entrepreneurship Empowerment Program comes with business training , so it was an opportunity for me to blend my technical skill with the business aspect of it.
You seem an ardent advocate for gender equality, what drives this passion
Yes as you can see around here, funny enough for me, I have always believed in empowerment, I have always believed in skills, I would say I am a gender and a skills advocate. And looking at where I am coming from, when I was in the University there were over 100 boys in the class with just three girls, you know that gap was just too much and I believed it shouldn’t be so, if I was able to pass through the university to study Mechanical Engineering which is a male-dominated profession, I should be able to encourage other girls to change the society, I believe it is more of a societal belief, to change the societal belief.
In your journey so far, what can you say are your priced success habits and your motivation that took you this far
My driving force is the determination to succeed, to make money
Who would you say has been a most influential mentor in your dealings in the Automobile Industry?
I have so many role models for different things (laugh) but for this business, my role model is Audia Fudin. She is a U.S based auto engineer also, she has been with me since 2015, whenever I have issues, whenever I have challenges we talk about it and we had to realize that despite the fact that we are on different continents and we are working in this industry, we have the same challenges, the same views.
What else do you engage in when you are not fixing cars?
I am always on my system, I am also a member of an association, I do a lot of giving back and voluntary projects that takes my time. So if I am not doing my engineering work I am doing my development work.
You have had exclusive deals with corporate organizations such as Uber and Cheki, how were you able to earn this?
It was simply 100 per cent referral, it was a customer who loved my service that referred me to them.
What has been your most remarkable achievement since the opening of this company?
That we are still in business today in an economy like this (laugh)
With the trend of things happening now, we find that Tech has gone as far as Self-driving cars, Solar-powered cars, Electric Vehicle etc. How would this establishment survive in these coming times?
Of course, I am planning for the future, in four days I would be flying out of the country, I am a U.N Women Scholar under their program of Tech Women Fellow. And what we do is think of ways we can use technology to drive our business and everything in line with this trend of things. We are seriously planning for the future, we are thinking of Mobility in that line. Also, we are looking at how we can serve our customers better with those technologies, ensuring that we give them convenient and easy access to our services
What would you say has been your most challenging situation since your start of business?
Surviving in this present economy! When you can see another day of your business. Right now it is challenging for businesses, but what you do is at this time, you look at what is working and what is not working and how you can manage the situation.
Lastly, what advice do you have for women in engineering because we found out that some people get to study this in school but end up doing so many things much later
Hello women in engineering, my advice is to tell you to follow your passion. Engineering is a very good profession. Don’t be scared of the outside world, you should be able to survive because engineering has to do with what we have upstairs and not just our physical power. Technology has taken care of things like that.
