In an automobile workshop nestled in New Garage Makurdi, Benue State, 21-year-old Cynthia Omede is breaking barriers in a field many still view as a man’s world. With grease-stained hands and a fierce determination shining through, this young woman from Ogbadibo Local Government Area (LGA) is busy removing engines, fixing up faulty vehicles, and putting everything back together. Despite proving her skills over the past three years, Cynthia now dreams of leaving Nigeria to pursue her career abroad, where she believes her abilities will be valued more than her gender.
Cynthia’s journey into the world of automobile mechanics began when she was in Junior School Three (JS3). Defying her parents’ wishes, who thought this trade was strictly for men, she secretly ditched her tailoring lessons and signed up as an apprentice at a mechanic workshop. Her decision took both her trainer and family by surprise. When the workshop owner broke the news to her mother, her father was openly sceptical, questioning whether she planned to marry a man or take on this profession. But Cynthia stood her ground, firmly believing that determination, not outdated gender norms, determines success in any field.
The path hasn’t been smooth sailing. After a year at her first workshop, where there weren’t many vehicles to learn from, she moved to another garage run by a mechanic named Peter Aku. Even there, she faced initial rejection, as the owner doubted whether a woman could thrive in the trade. Fast forward two years under Peter’s guidance, and Cynthia now tackles challenging mechanical tasks with confidence, including removing and reinstalling vehicle engines. While she admits she’s still perfecting her engine timing skills, she’s optimistic that it’s just a matter of time before she masters it all.
Inside the workshop, Cynthia shares that she’s had to face a constant stream of stereotypes from some of her male colleagues and customers. While many mechanics now respect her dedication, there are still those who think that heavy mechanical work is a man’s job. She remembers how her fellow apprentices were taken aback the first time she helped take out an engine, and some even tried to dissuade her from continuing. Instead of reacting with anger, she usually smiles, determined to let her skills do the talking. She feels that her perseverance has encouraged other young women to think about entering the field, even if most eventually step back due to the physical demands.
On top of the physical challenges, like dealing with recurring back pain from the tough work, Cynthia says the biggest struggle has been the harassment from men who misinterpret her presence in the male-dominated space as an invitation for romantic or sexual advances. She recalls how affluent customers, sometimes accompanied by police officers, would repeatedly ask for her phone number under the pretence of offering help, only to expect a personal relationship in return. In one particularly painful episode, a man led her to what she thought was a business meeting, only for her to find out he had actually invited her to a hotel. She went home feeling heartbroken after spending her transport fare on what she called one of the biggest letdowns of her apprenticeship.
The young mechanic explains that turning down such advances often comes with consequences. Some customers stop acknowledging her, refuse to let her near their cars, or spread false rumours about her. Still, she firmly believes she won’t compromise her values for money. For her, the focus is on building a career, not chasing relationships. She trusts that the right partner will come along when the time is right, but for now, her main goal is to become a skilled automobile technician.
Despite the challenges she faces, Cynthia is grateful for her mentor’s unwavering support. She sees Peter as a father figure who not only stands up for her against inappropriate remarks from customers but also lends a helping hand financially, providing meals and transport money whenever she needs it. That kind of encouragement, she shares, has been a lifeline during times when many would have thrown in the towel.
However, for Cynthia, her dreams no longer align with staying in Nigeria. The prejudice she encounters from some women, the societal discrimination, and the constant harassment from men have led her to believe that better opportunities await her abroad. Her biggest aspiration is to dive deeper into the world of Japanese automobiles by moving to Japan, where she hopes her talents will be appreciated without the stigma of being a female mechanic. As she continues to tighten bolts and rebuild engines in Makurdi, she clings to a simple prayer: that someone will help her “japa” and make a dream she believes can only flourish outside Nigeria a reality.
