Every citizen of Nigeria who is a graduate and have gone through NYSC scheme has undoubtedly known what “Mammy market” is Every military barrack and NYSC camp in Nigeria has the market .
Now, Have you ever wondered who it got the name Mammy market ?
Mammy market is a small business area close to the barracks, where soldiers’ interact and buy their daily necessary.
The name market was named after a woman called Mammy Ochefu In 1955 at Enugu State.
Mammy Ochefu is the wife of late military Governor of defunct East-Central state, Col. Anthony Aboki Ochefu.
At first Mammy has a shop where she sold a local non-alcoholic beverage called enyi to support her family but along the line it was rumored that and complained by her customers that her drinks is unhygienic and attracts flies.
This caused Mammy to take few weeks from her business to decide a way forward for her business.
After taking a week break at home due to complaints from people that the drink attracted flies, pressure from her clients inspired a Lieutenant Colonel to build her a kiosk to make it more conducive and Hygienic for her and her Customers.
Mammy’s business continued sailing smoothly until she and her family was later posted out of Enugu to Abeokuta but Mammy continued the business wherever they were posted to while she added snacks that would interest the soldiers.
However, whenever Mammy’s family was transferred to Another state, she would handover the business to woman who are interested in the business but demanded that the business must retain its original name.
This business was registered by Mammy as “Mammy Market” in the year 1971.
By the time of her husband’s retirement, the The business expanded into mini supermarket and transport business.
However,Till date when ever a military barrack is built a mammy market is always built with it.
The market are also created in NYSC orientation camps.
