Maria Ochefu, the woman who started the well-known Mammy Market found in military barracks across Nigeria, has passed away at the age of 86.
Her son, Yakubu Ochefu, confirmed her passing on Thursday, March 20, 2025. He shared that she died peacefully in her sleep on Tuesday after receiving treatment at Benue State University Teaching Hospital. She would have turned 87 next month.
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“Yes, Mama passed away on Tuesday in Makurdi in her sleep. She had been a patient at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi, and she would have been 87 in April this year.” Ochefu said.
Ochefu was married to Colonel Anthony Ochefu, a former military governor of Enugu State. She became widely recognized for creating the Mammy Market, a concept that grew into an essential part of military life across the country.
The Story of Mammy market and the woman behind It
Ochefu, fondly called Mammy, was born on April 10, 1941, in Otukpo, Benue State. She was one of 14 siblings and grew up in the prison yards of Otukpo, where her father worked. Her birth name, Mammy, means “mother” in English (or Enenu in Idoma). As she grew older, she chose to adopt the name Maria, which stayed with her for life.
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At just 14, she married Anthony Ochefu, a young corporal in the Nigerian Army, after being introduced by his older brother. By 16, she had her first child, eventually raising seven children.
How Mammy Market Began
In 1959, as a young military wife at the Abakpa Military Barracks in Enugu, Ochefu had no formal job. To support her family, she started selling kunu—a locally made millet drink—to soldiers at the barracks. The refreshing drink quickly became popular, but it also attracted swarms of flies, leading to complaints from neighbors. Unable to ignore the concerns, she decided to stop selling.
However, the soldiers, having developed a taste for her kunu, didn’t want to let go. When they realized she had stopped, they demanded to know why. On hearing her reasons, they protested, insisting she should continue. In response, their officers arranged a space behind the barracks, where young soldiers eager for her kunu built a tent just for her business. On the tent, a bold sign in Hausa read “Welcome to the barracks. Let’s branch at Mammy Market and drink kunu.”
This small business soon gained popularity as even former Nigerian Heads of State, General Yakubu Gowon and Muhammadu Buhari, were among her regular customers during their military days.
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A Simple idea becomes a National legacy
What started as a modest kunu stall grew into a business model replicated in every military barracks across Nigeria. Each time Ochefu and her husband were transferred to a new location—whether in Zaria, Kaduna, or Ibadan—soldiers would build her another stall to continue her trade.
When her husband retired, the ever-industrious Ochefu settled in Lagos and expanded her entrepreneurial journey. She established a pure water factory and a supermarket, formally registering the name Mammy Market.
Her concept became a permanent part of Nigerian military life and, by 1973, was also introduced into the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) camps. Today, Mammy Markets remain an essential feature in military barracks and NYSC orientation camps, serving as a trusted spot for food, drinks, and supplies.
For over six decades, Ochefu’s simple idea has endured, leaving behind an unshakable legacy—the name Mammy Market will forever be a part of Nigeria’s history.
