Nigeria's pioneer female mechanic and internationally recognised skills advocate, Engr. Ambassador Sandra Aguebor, has been invited to attend the WorldSkills Competition 2026 (WSC2026) and WorldSkills Conference 2026 in Shanghai, China. The invitation, issued by the Deputy Director, WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 Executive Bureau, Tan Youlin, recognises her professional contribution to technical and vocational skills development. Aguebor will represent the African continent at the WorldSkills Conference, showcasing a model that has trained and placed over 10,000 vulnerable women in automotive and maritime engineering roles.
Engr. Aguebor, Founder and CEO of the Lady Mechanic Initiative (LMI), began training as a mechanic in 1985 at the age of 13. Over four decades, she has broken gender barriers in a male-dominated field and earned recognition as an Ashoka Fellow. She currently serves as Technical Advisor to the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and National Coordinator of the Nigerian Skills Sector Council. Her core message at the Shanghai summit will be: empowering women with technical skills builds a nation economically, socially, and technologically.
Engr. Aguebor's invitation comes shortly after her landmark recognition at the National TVET Conference 2026 in Lagos, where she was honoured and presented with a certificate of her appointment as the SASANET First African Skills Ambassador. The Sub-Saharan Africa Skills and Apprenticeship Network (SASASNET) appointed her to champion and elevate vocational skills development across the African continent. This recognition placed her at the centre of Nigeria's growing efforts to promote Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), particularly among young people and women.
The award presentation at the National TVET Conference attracted senior government officials and members of the diplomatic community, reflecting the growing international attention given to skills development as a tool for employment, entrepreneurship, and economic development. Dignitaries present included the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, and the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Prof. Idris M. Bugaje.
The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, was represented at the occasion by the Deputy Governor, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, who presented the landmark recognition to Aguebor. Other dignitaries included the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, and members of the diplomatic corps, such as Consul General of France, Laurent Favier, and Consul General of Switzerland, Conny Camenzind.
Engr. Aguebor's recognition as the first African Skills Ambassador under SASANET underscores the increasing emphasis on technical and vocational education as a pathway to human-capital development and economic opportunity across Africa. Her invitation to WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 provides another international platform for Nigeria to showcase its experience and perspectives in vocational skills development.
The WorldSkills Competition brings together young skilled professionals from different countries and territories to compete in various occupational skills, while the accompanying conference provides a platform for discussions around the future of skills, vocational education, and workforce development. Aguebor's participation will provide an opportunity to further connect Nigeria and Africa's TVET agenda with international skills-development initiatives.
Key points
- Empowering women with technical skills builds a nation economically, socially, and technologically.
- Engr. Aguebor will represent the African continent at the WorldSkills Conference, showcasing a model that has trained and placed over 10,000 vulnerable women in automotive and maritime engineering roles.
- The WorldSkills Competition and Conference will attract policymakers, skills experts, educators, industry stakeholders, and other professionals from around the world.
