Soho garage trains youth in motorcycle mechanics in Niger

The Soho Garage in Maradi, Niger, provides technical training in motorcycle mechanics to local and regional youth.

Sani Yayi, a former bicycle repairer, founded the center approximately 50 years ago. The business has since evolved into a multi-generational operation where family members now manage the workshops and train new apprentices. Chapiou Rabiou, known as Dan Soho, currently trains 13 students at the facility. Other workshop managers at the site oversee groups of 10 to 30 apprentices at a time.

The center accepts students from various Nigerien cities, including Arlit, Agadez, Madaoua, and Guidan-Roumdji. The training focuses on daily practical experience, allowing students to master the basics of the trade in two to three years. The garage serves a diverse clientele, including private individuals and public services such as the gendarmerie, the police, and the municipality. Workshop managers say the initiative helps combat youth unemployment and prevents juvenile delinquency by providing a path to financial independence.

Former students have progressed to become workshop managers themselves, while some instructors have used their earnings to build homes or perform religious pilgrimages.