Nigerian first female train driver from the South-South, Nneka Elumogo Enujekor bared it all in this interview with Top Society, where she spoke extensively on her journey into driving a train, her years of jobless, her Inspiration, drive and the impact she’s making in her community, her inspiration behind facilitating for teen sex awareness and other developments, excerpts.
Can you briefly describe who you are, what your early days were like, and where you came from as the first female train rider?
My name is Nneka Elumogo Enujekor; I am from Ezi town in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State. I had my primary education in Benin, Legacy Nursery and primary school, and my secondary school was in the Student Academy and Excel group of schools; for university, I studied insurance and actuarial science at Imo State University, Owerri.
What inspired you to become a train driver?
I had always had this passion for becoming a pilot right from when I was a kid because my mother works for the aviation sector, so this motivated me always to want to be a pilot. I love being a pilot, and I told my parents that I wanted to be a pilot, but they complained that the school was too expensive and they could not afford it. But I still had the dream, which made me good at geography. In my WAEC, I got a B3, I was that good. But since there was no money, I had to go and study a regular course at the university. After university, I came out and stayed for years without a job. I was into my business as I tried to get a job, but none was forthcoming; I graduated in 2011 and served in 2012/ 2013, but I got this job in 2023, exactly ten years later.
I got this job after I reached out to my cousin, who told me there were available vacancies before I got a call from Lamata. We did a test before an oral interview, which I passed. We did a two-week training session, and we were assigned to different positions after the training. I was asked what I wanted to do, and I said I wanted to be a train driver. I then asked if I would be trained in the job, to which they affirmed yes. To my surprise, my colleagues encouraged me, and that was how I became a train driver.
What was it like being the first woman from your community to drive a train in Nigeria?
It was such an honour; it pains me so much that my dad is not here to witness it. He had always told me from when I was a kid that I was going to make the Family proud. He so much believed in me. From a very young age, my dad started calling me ‘King’ even when the title was for men; he did not mind and continued to call me the title. He always believed that I was going to stand out. After all these years, surprisingly, here it is, unfolding after many years. Becoming the first female train driver from Ezi, the first female train driver Delta State, the first female train driver from South and South East. It is a great honour. It is like a dream come true. Each day I go out there, I remind myself that I am an ambassador of a lot of people, particularly women, a hope for the girl child and a lot of communities that come from my local govt, state and geographical zone, and this fuels me and give me the passion to always stand amongst my peers. It makes me want to learn fast, and gives me the enthusiasm to improve. Not to fail them, not to misbehave. I also watch out for character that might want to destroy the fame and honour my work has given me.
Has your accomplishments so far in your profession, in one way or the other, impacted the lives of young women? If yes, how so?
Yes, it has. I am a facilitator for teen sex awareness; I volunteer for more than ten organizations. Revamp Africa is one of them, where we talk to teens. I love teens, so I get to go for my facilitating class, where I look into the girl child and boy child and preach about dreams and how possible it is to attain one’s dreams.
What is the one thing that constantly fuels your role as the first female train driver?
Like I said before, the constant reminder of me being an ambassador of my Family, where I come from, where I am married to, my children, every community in Delta state, and every community in my geographical region fuels me a lot. And having the privilege to be amongst the first females in Nigeria and in West Africa is what constantly drives me. The thought is that I am hoping for a girl child, a woman, even a boy child. These are the motivates that drive me not to relent.
After a year of working as a Train driver, what would you advise young women, mainly from your community, who want to make a positive impact like you?
My advice for young women who want to attain the height I’m currently at is that their dreams are valid—every single day, put in that effort. Life is a series of multiple dots. The effort you put in daily brings about the dots, which becomes a connecting line with time. It may not make sense to you, but if you keep trying, you will be able to connect the dots and appreciate them (daily efforts). I tell young women, that they can be focused and intentional while trying to enjoy life’s pleasures. I tell them you are young enough to be deliberate and start making each day counts. Because once each day is counting, the lines is connecting, once you don’t make each day count, because sometimes you may draw the lines incorrectly, you have to erase them and come back again. But if you take your time, and exercise patience, even if you draw and erase, you give yourself time to be intentional and grow.
What challenges did you encounter on a daily being a female train driver, and how did you overcome them?
I don’t encounter any significant challenges. I have an understanding husband, and my children are grown; my job is a shift job, which is very suitable. I don’t rush to work very early in the morning; I don’t come home late, so my kids see a lot of me. I don’t really have any challenges because the management put us into consideration a lot which is something I am very thankful about.
Looking back on this past year in your career as a train driver, what milestones have you achieved?
I am a great facilitator and philanthropist; I also go to schools in my community and state to distribute school materials and, most of the time, educate them on career talk. Becoming a female train driver gives me more of a listening edge because when I start talking to the kids and informing them that I drive trains, it captures their heart. I recently received an award on prestigious community service.
Has your work impacted train riding, especially amongst women, over the past few years?
Well, I am a woman riding a train; that’s something. also, women with big dreams can look at me and aspire to do and become more, especially those who want to venture into a male-dominated career but are too scared to do that.
Do you think throughout your career, you were able to define the engineering scene?
Yes, because every night, the train goes for maintenance, so we do it in turns. Sometimes I go to the depots with the engineering team to check for the AC and the engines; we check everything in the train, so when they are checking it, I just go with them, and watch how they do it. So, yes, I can give myself a six percent on the engineering scene.
As an accomplished female driving, how do you define success?
As an accomplished female train driver, I have one word to define success: passion means preparation; you have to be prepared always and have passion. The passion will fuel the drive for you to be prepared. Once passion meets preparation, it is a success. It is not about the big cars; it is not about anything. It is about fulfillment. Passion meets preparation, which gives you success.
