The woman who created Nigeria’s well-known Mammy Markets in military barracks, Maria Ochefu, died at the age of 86. She passed away quietly in her sleep on Tuesday in Makurdi, Benue State, according to her son, Professor Yakubu Ochefu.
In 1959, near the Abakpa Military Barracks in Enugu, Ochefu, affectionately known as “Mammy,” opened the first Mammy Market. She was just selling soldiers “kunu,” a millet beverage from the area, at the time. However, what started out as a tiny business soon expanded into a vital resource that gave military families access to food, necessities, and a sense of belonging.
Soon, every military barrack in Nigeria had its own Mammy Market, where troops and their families could purchase daily necessities like food and clothing, thanks to her idea’s rapid proliferation. These marketplaces continue to be an essential aspect of military life even today.
Maria Ochefu was not just a market pioneer but also the wife of Colonel Anthony Ochefu, who had served as Enugu State’s military governor. She transformed a modest notion into a national institution and was a mother, grandma, and icon of tenacity.
Although an era has come to an end with her passing, her legacy endures in the thousands of Mammy Markets that continue to serve military communities today.
Many Nigerians are paying tribute to the woman whose vision impacted a significant aspect of barracks life, and many are grieving her departure, particularly those in military circles. Her influence on military families will always be remembered.
May she rest in peace.
