Friday, September 29, 2023

History of Mammy Market

 History of Mammy Market



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. 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 boundaries. 


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 at Otukpo as one of the prized legends of our time.”


Source: Maj Gen KOLEOSO rtd, former Comdt TRADOC

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Tuesday, September 26, 2023

Mastering the Essentials: 10 Fundamental SQL Commands for Beginners

 

Mastering the Essentials: 10 Fundamental SQL Commands for Beginners

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Are you a budding developer looking to dive into the world of databases and data management? SQL (Structured Query Language) is an indispensable tool that will empower you to interact with databases effectively. Whether you're building web applications, analyzing data, or working with any form of data storage, having a solid grasp of SQL commands is a must.

In this article, we'll introduce you to ten fundamental SQL commands that every beginner should know. These commands will serve as the building blocks of your database journey, allowing you to retrieve, manipulate, and manage data efficiently.

By the end of this guide, you'll have a strong foundation to work with relational databases and handle various data-related tasks. So, let's get started with these essential SQL commands that will unlock a world of possibilities in the realm of data management.

1). SELECT: This command is used to retrieve data from a database. It allows you to specify which columns you want to retrieve and which table(s) to retrieve the data from.

For example:


SELECT first_name, last_name FROM employees;

2). INSERT: The INSERT statement is used to add new rows of data to a table. You specify the table and the values you want to insert into the columns. 

For example:


INSERT INTO products (product_name, price) VALUES ('Laptop', 999.99);

3). UPDATE: This command is used to modify existing records in a table. You specify the table, the columns to update, and the new values. You also typically use a WHERE clause to specify which rows to update. 

For example:


UPDATE orders SET status = 'Shipped' WHERE order_id = 12345;

4). DELETE: The DELETE statement is used to remove rows from a table based on a specified condition. Be careful when using DELETE as it permanently removes data. 

For example:


DELETE FROM customers WHERE customer_id = 5678;

5). CREATE TABLE: This command is used to create a new table in the database. You specify the table name and the columns it will have, along with their data types. 

For example:


CREATE TABLE employees (
    employee_id INT,
    first_name VARCHAR(50),
    last_name VARCHAR(50),
    hire_date DATE
);

6). ALTER TABLE: The ALTER TABLE command is used to modify an existing table, such as adding, modifying, or dropping columns. 

For example, to add a new column:


ALTER TABLE products ADD stock_quantity INT;

7). DROP TABLE: This command is used to delete an entire table and all of its data. Use it with caution, as it cannot be undone. 

For example:


DROP TABLE archived_data;

8). WHERE: The WHERE clause is used to filter rows based on a specified condition. It's often used with SELECT, UPDATE, and DELETE statements. 

For example:


SELECT * FROM orders WHERE order_status = 'Pending';

9). ORDER BY: The ORDER BY clause is used to sort the result set of a SELECT statement. You specify the column(s) to sort by and whether to sort in ascending (ASC) or descending (DESC) order.

For example:


SELECT * FROM products ORDER BY price DESC;

10). GROUP BY: The GROUP BY clause is used to group rows that have the same values in specified columns into summary rows. It's often used with aggregate functions like SUM, COUNT, AVG, etc.

For example:


SELECT category, COUNT(*) as count FROM products GROUP BY category;

These basic SQL commands should provide a solid foundation for beginners to work with relational databases. As you embark on your journey into the realm of data management, remember that SQL is a language of immense power and versatility. The commands you've learned here are just the beginning. With practice and exploration, you'll find yourself adept at handling complex data tasks and creating robust applications.

So, embrace the world of SQL, dive into databases, and let these fundamental commands be your guiding stars. As you continue to build your skills and explore the depths of data, you'll discover that SQL is an invaluable tool that opens up endless possibilities in the world of technology.

Happy coding!

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Thursday, September 21, 2023

Software Tools for monitoring and evaluation professionals

 



Software Tools for monitoring and evaluation professionals

February 6, 2021

Monitoring and evaluation is the process of data collection and analysis to track project progress and support decision making. As the adage goes, what gets measured gets managed. M and E is central to the success of every project as it involves the gathering of data which brings out insights into what is working and what is not. This helps project teams find ways to improve upon project implementation to bring about planned results.

M and E personnel are tasked with the responsibility to produce M and E plans, develop tools for data collection, collect data, develop and manage databases, analyze data, produce meaningful visualizations, write reports and communicate results. For this to happen, M and E personnel must possess a wide range of skills and utilize a number of software tools.

In this article, I will round up the most important tools that every M and E professional working in social impact organizations (and just about anyone responsible for the tasks listed above) must be skilled in.

Data collection software

One of the most fundamental tasks every M and E professional is responsible for is the development of tools for data collection. For this, there are desktop, we-based and mobile-based data collection solutions you can use.

Many international development organizations are migrating from paper-based data collection to mobile data collection due to the efficiency, ease-of-use, and ability to collect different kinds of data among many reasons. Hence it is advisable that you invest into learning one or more tools for developing and deploying mobile data collection projects.

The following are the top data collection software available:

Paid

Free

Database software

For organizations that collect large volumes of data, using powerful relational databases is a must. Relational databases allow for the aggregation of large volumes of data generated from multiple systems. This data can then be used to gain a 360 degree view of the organization as a whole from projects and operations to administration.

Here are the top database software being used in international projects today:

Paid

Free

Data visualization software

Data visualization is the visual representation of data through the use of charts, graphs and other diagrams. Rather than trying to get meaning from a bunch of numbers, visualizations make it easy to detect trends and patterns in data by presenting them visually. Our brains process visual information much quickly; easily detecting changes in size, shape, position, quantity and color. Data visualization taps into this ability to make getting and communicating insights easy.

Every M and E professional is tasked with communicating results with a wide range of project stakeholders – most of who may not have a good grounding in understanding advanced statistics. Using data visualizations such as line charts, bar charts, pie charts, maps, Gantt charts, word clouds and others ensures that your presentation is easy to understand, is visually appealing and engaging to all stakeholders.

Some of the most popular data visualization software are listed below:

Paid

Free

Statistical data analysis software

Data professionals rely on statistical methods of data analysis to unearth deeper insights from quantitative data. Statistics allow us to summarize data into meaningful metrics as well as infer and predict phenomena from a small set of data to a broader population.

As a Monitoring and Evaluation professional, you are responsible for running statistical analyses on data. Therefore, it is key that apart from understanding statistical methods of data analysis, you should also be well vested in the use of software for statistical analyses.

 The following is a list of the most popular statistical analysis software:

Paid

Free

Qualitative data analysis software

In many cases, data will come in the form of descriptions, stories, videos, audios and photos among other formats. This is known as qualitative data.

As an M and E professional, you will need to utilize qualitative data to collect broader insights that might otherwise not be captured quantitatively using numbers. Such scenarios may include capturing significant change stories, interviewing key informants and doing participant observations among others.

The most popular qualitative analysis software include the following:

Paid

Free

GIS software

A Geographic Information system (GIS) is a computer system used to capture, store, organize, manipulate, analyze and present geographically referenced data.

Adding geographical information to your reports enriches the insights you are trying to communicate by highlighting patterns and trends identifiable spatially.

Examples of the application of GIS in M and E include using heatmaps to show the concentration of cholera cases, mapping project beneficiaries and their household characteristics, using remote sensing to monitor forests, among others.

The following are the most popular GIS software

Paid

Free

Sector-specific data management software

There exist software specifically developed to collect, manage, analyze and report data for specific sectors.

For example, if you are working in the health sector, you may need to be familiar with District Health Information System (DHIS2). DHIS2 is a powerful platform for collecting, managing, analyzing, and presenting health data. It is used in many countries in the world to manage their national health reporting. Applications include patient health monitoring, disease surveillance, mapping of disease outbreaks.

M and E professionals in the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector, may have to be vested in mWater  – a data management platform for the WASH sector. The platform includes a mobile data collection app and a portal for aggregating and analyzing data.

Document and Presentation software

One of the areas where M and E professionals spend much of their time is putting together reports and presentations of their findings and recommendations. To do this, they have to use tools for writing documents and presentations.

The most popular tools used are:

Paid

Free

Communication software

As an M and E professional, you typically work in a team of other project staff such as field staff, project managers and coordinators among others. You also have to communicate with other stakeholders who may include donors and organization leadership. This calls for familiarity with communication software such as the following:

Paid

Free

Most of the paid options offer free plans of their software

Cloud storage software

Cloud storage software provide a more secure file storage solution which in most cases includes the ability to collaborate with other users.

Knowledge of how to use cloud storage platforms and collaborate with others online is very crucial to the work of M and E professionals, who have to work with other members in a team and ensure the availability and security of data and reports.

The most popular cloud storage platforms include:

Paid

Free

Most of the paid options offer plans of their software

Summary

Monitoring and Evaluation professionals have many responsibilities that include planning for M and E activities, data collection, analysis, visualization, reporting and communication.

There exist many software tools that can be used to accomplish these tasks as discussed in this article. Many of these tools are being updated very frequently and more tools and standards are being introduced.

The successful M and E professional is versatile enough to work with a number tools across the categories listed.


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