By Nigeriastories

For those who have been to Nysc camp in Nigeria, or people who have closely stayed withing the army barracks, you must be conversant with the term "MAMMY MARKET". Here is how the term came to light :

mammy market is a place close to the barracks, where soldiers’ interact and buy their daily needs.
mammy market was named after a woman called Mammy Ochefu In 1955 at Enugu.

She is the wife of late military Governor of defunct East-Central state, Col. Anthony Aboki Ochefu, where she sold a local non-alcoholic beverage called enyi to support her family.

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.

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’.

Interestingly, whenever her family was transferred to another state, she would hand over the business to women who were interested in it but asked that they retain the name.

Mammy registered her business as “Mammy Market” in 1971. By the time her husband retired, the business had grown into a supermarket and a transport business.

Till date when ever a military barrack is built a mammy market is always built with it. Mammy market are also created in NYSC orientation camps.

In nysc camp, some 'ajebutter' guys will find it difficult to join the queue for camp food . They will just go straight to the mammy and eat out with their personal money.

alot of street folks see an opportunity in this and use their ticket to take extra meal.

The camp food is mostly a mess anyway. They will serve all the camp officials before diluting the rest with so much water so that it can go round the camp not minding the quality

All my days at Osun state Ede camp

I did not for once eat from that camp kitchen

Everytime I m always at mami market

Not that mami food is even that good but manageable

But wait can’t government come out to renovate camps in Nigeria

Osun state camp has nothing to write about
The toilets are bad so so bad
If your soap falls down in the bathroom just go n buy another
That’s how bad the bathroom is
At time I always wake up to bathe outside



Camp was not fun to me
Cus I got tired the very first week

Our government can do better

You are very right, I think the reason is because it's always 3 weeks camping hence, there will be no need for a permanent camp according to them which is against all sane senses though. The camps are always in a dilapidated state. No where to defecate and have proper bath.