Stella Dimoko Korkus.com: Origin of Mammy Markets in Nigeria

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Thursday, January 12, 2017

Origin of Mammy Markets in Nigeria

It was in 1959. Mammy Ode, a young girl from Jericho-Ugboju in the present Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State was married to Anthony Aboki Ochefu, a young Non-Commissioned military officer who had just been posted to Enugu from Abeokuta.


MAMMY

They were quartered at the Army Barracks, Abakpa, Enugu. To beat idleness and perhaps earn some money to support her young family, Mrs. Mammy Ochefu established a soft drinks business. She prepared gruel, which is called umu or enyi in Idoma, or kunu in Hausa, for sale to soldiers. She soon became popular with her stuff as soldiers trooped to her house to buy enyi. Some of her best customers were officers, who always sent their batmen to buy some of the gruel for them, Monday through Friday.



Somehow, one of the Non-Commissioned Officers, the RSM, did not flow with the enthusiasm, which Mammy’s gruel generated among other military men in the barracks. He complained that the stuff was attracting flies into the barracks and ordered Mrs. Mammy Ochefu to stop its production and sale. Though surprised and disappointed at the order of the RSM, she stopped the production and sale of enyi. Her husband, not being an officer at the time, could not challenge the order of the RSM.



For weeks, Mrs. Mammy Ochefu agonized over the fate of her business, just as officers and men of the Nigerian Army who enjoyed her enyi because of its freshness and nutritional value lamented the situation.



From several quarters, pressure mounted on the RSM for a reversal of the order. After a while, he succumbed to the pressures and directed that a section of the barracks be reserved for Mrs. Mammy Ochefu to produce and sell her enyi. Her joy knew no bounds.



Few days after, a section of the barracks was given to her. She built a small shop and soon, her business began to boom. Most of her customers booked for their shares in advance. Before noon, she would have finished selling the available enyi for the day. Soon, other women in the barracks tapped into her fortune and started selling other items. It was not long before that portion of the barracks became known as Mammy Market. It also became a policy to establish markets inside or near military barracks in the country, initially for the exclusive use of officers and men.



Today, no visit to Abuja, the Federal Capital City, is complete without a taste of fresh fish in one of the Mammy Markets, especially the one attached to Abacha Barracks. Similar markets attached to paramilitary barracks are also called Mammy Markets.



After the coup that overthrew General Yakubu Gowon, Anthony Aboki Ochefu, then a Colonel, was posted to East Central State as Military Governor. So Mrs. Mammy Ochefu and her husband returned to Enugu as the First Family; she sometimes visited the site where Mammy Market started about sixteen years earlier It must be stressed too that in retirement, Colonel Anthony Aboki Ochefu and his wife incorporated a company, Mammy Markets, which was into haulage and trading.



Mrs. Mammy Ochefu is alive and lives in Otukpo as one of the prized legends of our time."


from onlinenigeria:by Major General Kaleosho (Rtd),
Former Comdt TRADOC

 

90 comments:

  1. Wonderful. Just wondered how the name mammy markets came about

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  2. Interesting, Mammy will be very old by now. Hardworking woman






    God Bless Everyone.

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    1. These are women who should be celebrated. Women who don't give up in the face of controversy. Women who are innovative and do something different In their lifetime.

      I'm glad I read this.

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  3. Wow. This is great. Never knew.

    Beautiful Mammy God bless you.

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  4. Wow wow wow im shouting here!

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  5. I enjoyed NYSC Mammy market days.

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  6. Wowwwww!she broke boundaries. Moral of the story don't wait for the government to do everything for you kapishh

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  7. Intelligentsia princess12 January 2017 at 11:12

    SDK, leave matter for Mathias
    The present day mammy market is
    Where should be renamed Sodom
    And Gomorrah, you need to see the
    Kind of atrocities going on there.
    Infact,we call it Ashewo headquarters in bk.
    Madam mammy inagesheki...dooo..

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  8. Wow! I never knew. Being a proud Benue woman and going to a paramilitary school.Good to know.

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  9. Boy!
    Did I enjoy this story? I love reading about history et al..
    Mammy market! I can't forget the grilled Crocker fish and fries in abacha barracks,A.Y.A, in a hurry.
    Madam mammy, I'm pretty sure your children and grandchildren are mighty proud of you..




    Dum Spiro spero.

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    1. Are you sure we haven't met there? The crowd in Abacha barracks no be small. I guess I hate fish today because I ate too much at Abacha barracks. Plus that pepper sauce make sense no be small.

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    2. Lol @ are you sure we haven't met there? I tell you @sweet mother, that pepper sauce is everything.it took me a while, but I learnt how to prepare same.

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    3. AKA Mogadishu barracks.
      After the bomb attack there,several people got scared of going there.
      Thank God people feel safe enough now.

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    4. Are you sure we haven't met too. The first day I went to that abacha barracks I was like "this kind place dey this abuja" and my house no far from AYA.

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  10. That is awesome!!!! Thank you for bringing this beautiful piece of history Stella. Imagine the number of jobs people have because of Mammy? God bless you Madam.

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  11. WOW! I never knew! This is informative! Kudos to mammy!

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  12. Wow we learn everyday, who would have thought mammy market was named after someone. Fantastic!

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  13. Ahh! Finally.

    I always wondered why camp markets are called 'Mammy' markets. Now I know.

    Thanks,Stellz.

    #WhiteDiamondOut

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  14. Legend through kunu making....

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  15. Now,this is what I call being a star.

    My dear TGW,Nwanyi oma,I am fine,happy new year to you and family. May the year bring good tidings our way and our life continue to be more beautiful in Jesus name,Amen. I hope you and yours are good?
    Iphiee dearie,my regards and more beauty to our lives.
    My sweethearts on Sdk,I love you all and you all are in my prayers,la fresh,la Katie and so many of you there,I love you all.
    May our stars shine even brighter.

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    1. Amen!!
      God bless you.
      I look forward to your comments here,i have learnt a lot from them too. You and Mystique.... Your love for God shows here.
      😘😘😘😘
      Regards

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    2. Sweetie!😍

      Amen to your Prayers.
      Hope you are good too Dearie.

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  16. Yes o! Another proud Idoma moment as a full blooded Idoma that I am,Idoma ol'adam eh! The Ochefu's are a popular family in Otukpo & i happen to know her family quite well especially her children.

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  17. Nice one
    I love history like this

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  18. Wonderful!
    I so much appreciate this history!

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  19. That's nice..l'v known the origin of mammy market.tnxxx Stella

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  20. Such an interesting read

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  21. Lovely! She must be very old now

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  22. Wonderful story....i knw of one mammy market in sea school apapa lagos because Ryla usually organised by rotary club takes place there....it is also a military arena

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  23. Wow wow, so dat is how mammy market come to existence.

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  24. Wow, there is actually a story behind mammy market

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  25. Very informative. Now I know.

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  26. Beautiful history. More of these kinds of stories pls SDK,thanks.

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  27. Wow.. Power of doing what u know how to do best

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  28. I love such historic stories. Chai

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  29. Legends are being made from time immemorial.

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  30. It's at times like this I'm really proud to say I'm from otukpo.

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  31. Proud idoma 👏👏👏 Abole my people on SDK?

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  32. Very informative. God bless all industrious mothers worldwide.
    Thanks Stella.

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  33. Wow, She is a very enterprising and industrious woman.

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  34. Lovely, it's not too late for you to start that dream, you lead, others follow.

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  35. Oh nice, may we be remembered for good!!!

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  36. Wow, She is a very enterprising and industrious woman.

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  37. Are you kidding me?! Amazing article! Was waiting to read if she's still alive and voila! She is. People like this deserve to be celebrated. Their stories need to be told. God bless all those who have contributed immensely to this great country.

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  38. wow!!!!. the power of small beginning. God bless our hustles

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  39. So that name of the market was coined out of someone's name? How informative

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  40. Wow! Teach a girl child to be empowered and the nation will grow

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  41. Hmmm There is really history in every part of Nigeria..#uplifted

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  42. And I thought mammy meant mammy water during my NYSC.
    So that place I used to eat grilled croacker fish at abacha barracks was mammy market. Hmmmmm
    We learn everyday

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  43. Good to know how the name "mammy market" originated

    On the other hand, a name on this blog came to mind- Maami; the fairest and whitest of them all' & her tales of her son. What's that his name again? Hazard abi ki lo ru kor è? I hope she is doing good.

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  44. Wow! Now I know how mammy market came about. Thanks Stella

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  45. I had butterflies reading this.

    Loves it.

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  46. wow.thank u stella.i never knew.

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  47. what a great information. Wooow nothing ever exist in vacuum just as no writer writes in a vacuum

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  48. What a nice story, now I know where the name mammy market was curled from

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  49. Beautiful. I am going to mammy market today in abacha barrack because of this story.

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  50. Very informative, enlightening and entertaining.

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  51. Amaze ball. This history has a nostalgic feeling to it.*hands akimbo.

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  52. Wow! Good to know.

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  53. Wow! good to know. What about "mammy water?"

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