Sarah Abiara who joined the Nigerian Railway Corporation 13 years ago, was recently honoured with the Role Model Award by the Women in Logistics and Transport, Nigeria (WILAT), the women arm of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT). The woman who can pilot both the Narrow and Standard Gauge DMU engines, is Nigeria’s first female locomotive driver and has guarded that honour jealously since 2013. Just last month, the NRC celebrated two other females, who graduated from the one year long train drivers’ training school, to join the male dominated cadre. In this interview, Sarah Abiara, who can drive the narrow gauge and the Standard Gauge Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) locomotive engines, hails from Ogbomosho, in Oyo State, but born in Mubi, Adamawa State. She spoke of how she had guarded her prized place in the annals of the nation’s railway history and what it meant for her; how the journey started and her love for the train’s pilot seat.
Q: How does it feel to be Nigeria’s first female locomotive driver?
It has been a quite interesting journey and one that makes me feel happy and deeply grateful, to God and to all those who made the history possible. I feel blessed. I also feel fulfilled, because the recognition accorded by WILAT has been my dream since I joined the Railway in 2013 and realised that I was the first female to be trained as a train locomotive driver.
Q: Did you ever imagine a day when you will be celebrated like this?
Yes, I’ve always prayed for this days to come, where I’ll be recognised and known by many young women outside there who are passionate about one career or the other. So, I feel fulfilled today.
Q: What pushed you into becoming a train driver? Was it a dream, or you just ran into it? How did it happen?
Looking back, I just realized that in 2013, I applied to Nigerian Railway Corporation, when they were recruiting people with electrical electronics engineering, mechanical, or general engineering background as locomotive drivers. I told myself I am qualified because I studied electrical electronics engineering. I applied and I was shortlisted. At the interview, the question they asked me was that being a female, what will I be able to do? They told me they have not employed any female before in the driving cadre. So they wanted to be sure whether I would be able to do it. I told them that, “Yes, I will.” So they decided to give it a try.
They said, hope I won’t disappoint them on getting the employment. They feared I might change department and move to another department, or I can’t continue with the driving line. I said, “No.” I’ll be able to do it, and that’s how the journey started.
Q: What has been your experience since the journey started? What are the things you faced? Were there any time you were intimidated or you victimized? Were you maltreated in any way?
No, there was no any day that I felt intimidated. Reason is right from my secondary school, I’ve been in male-dominated field. I’ve been among men, my higher institution. I went to the Polytechnic we, where in a class of 70, just four girls. So I’m used to that lifestyle, being among men and coming down to Railways as a train driver. All my colleagues there, and my boss is there. They accepted me, they are ready to impart to me, so that has really helped me to go a long way. I would say the only challenge I do have is when I, whenever I travel, I find myself that I’m the only female, and times I end up sleeping with a fellow colleague in a room to pass the night to continue our journey. So I would say that’s the only challenge I face. And I didn’t really see it as a challenge because I’ve already used the lifestyle.
Q: Okay, so what has driving a train cost you? What, have you in any way missed being a woman because a train driver?
No, I’ve not missed being myself, as a train driver, no, I’ve not. It has cost me, it has cost me time, sacrifice. So, that is, it has to do with a lot of sacrifice. At times when I’m on duty, I have to come out, it could be in the midnight, anytime they may call on me that Sarah, you’re on duty. So that is the sacrifice, the time, the time frame, whether it is convenient or not, I just have to come out to perform my duty.
Q: So it’s 13 years now that you have been handling the train, being at the driver’s seat, the pilot, So is there any incident or has there been any time something left an unforgettable? Is there any unforgettable moment that you’ve had since you started?
Since I started, I would say I’ve not really experienced any ugly incident. I count this as an act of God, but I have nor recorded any incident since I started driving 13 years ago, whether on LITS, which I started with, or AKTS, or the Jos train which is the one I now drive.
Q: Are you married.
Yes, am married with three kids, two boys and a girl.
Q: How will you react if sometime in the future, any of your children decides to join the Nigerian Railway Corporatiion? What would you do if any of them chooses to be a locomotive driver?
Well, as a person, if any of my child decides tomorrow that I want to be a train driver, I don’t have any objections to that. It’s just a matter of choice. So, if that’s what the child wants, I will fully support such child to go ahead, so everything is in God’s hands.
Q: As a female train driver, will you say life has been rosy, or are there areas, or things you want to look at?
My experiences as a train driver has been quite demanding but very amazing. I love seeing myself doing what men are doing and succeeding at it. Until I joined the NRC, many people believed only men can drive locomotives, so it has been quite amazing for me and inspiring too. I would like to inspire other young women out there to challenge themselves and fight for recognition where people often thing it is male dominated. Let them get in there and dominate too. It has been demanding too, but I thank God, the experience has been worth it.
Q: Finally, with WiLAT recognition, where next do you want to see yourself?
Ans: First of all, I appreciate the WiLAT for the recognition and the honour. I want to say a big thank you to all the organizing committee at WILAT. Though I know a day like this would come since I joined the locomotive drivers 13 years ago, I would say it is an award that I will forever treasure because I’ve worked tirelessly for it. I have looked forward to a day such as this since I joined the NRC and I thanked God that he used WiLAT to bring out the recognition and the honor. So I see myself inspiring more women to do what men are doing. Believe in yourself and believe that with God, all things are possible. So I see this award as one that would open doors of more recognition, more honor, and more awards.
