BENUE, Nigeria – Maria Ochefu, the pioneering woman behind the iconic Mammy Markets found in military barracks across Nigeria, has passed away at the age of 86.
Her son, Professor Yakubu Ochefu, confirmed to journalists that she died peacefully in her sleep on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Makurdi, Benue State. Maria, who would have turned 87 in April, had been receiving treatment at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital prior to her passing.
What began as a modest venture in 1955, when Maria was just 14 years old, grew into a nationwide phenomenon that empowered countless women and provided essential services to soldiers and their families
Maria Ochefu’s legacy is deeply woven into the fabric of Nigerian military and civilian life. She is widely recognized as the founder of the Mammy Market, a bustling commercial hub within military barracks that has become a cultural institution across the country.
What began as a modest venture in 1955, when Maria was just 14 years old, grew into a nationwide phenomenon that empowered countless women and provided essential services to soldiers and their families.
Maria, born on April 10, 1941, in Otukpo, Benue State, was originally named Ene’m—meaning “my mother” in Idoma—by her father, a steward to a British colonial officer.
The name “Mammy” was a misinterpretation by the officer, who misunderstood her father’s announcement of her birth, and it stuck. She later adopted the name Maria, becoming known as Mammy Maria Ochefu after her marriage to Colonel Anthony Aboki Ochefu, a military officer who would later serve as the military governor of the defunct East Central State in Enugu.
Her small business quickly gained traction, attracting soldiers and officers alike, including notable figures like General Yakubu Gowon and former President Muhammadu Buhari, who were among her early customers
In 1955, shortly after her marriage at the age of 14, Maria found herself in the Army Barracks in Abakpa, Enugu, where her husband was stationed as a corporal. Seeking to support her husband, who had many dependents, and to combat idleness, Maria began selling a local non-alcoholic beverage called enyi (known as kunu in Hausa), a millet-based gruel popular among soldiers for its refreshing and nutritional qualities.
Her small business quickly gained traction, attracting soldiers and officers alike, including notable figures like General Yakubu Gowon and former President Muhammadu Buhari, who were among her early customers.
However, her success was briefly halted when a Non-Commissioned Officer, the Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM), ordered her to stop production, citing that the drink attracted flies into the barracks.
Despite her husband’s inability to challenge the order at the time, the soldiers’ demand for her enyi led to mounting pressure on the RSM.
He eventually relented, allocating a dedicated space within the barracks for Maria to continue her business. This marked the birth of the first Mammy Market, a name that would later become synonymous with commercial hubs in military barracks nationwide.
Maria is survived by her seven children and a legacy that will endure for generations to come.
TG News
