Maria Mammy Ochefu, the woman behind Nigeria’s iconic Mammy Market concept, was laid to rest on Friday, May 9, in her hometown of Jericho Ugboju in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State. She passed away on March 18 at the age of 85.
Fondly remembered as “Mama Mammy,” Ochefu was the widow of the late Colonel Anthony Aboki Ochefu, a former Military Governor of the East Central State. She gained national recognition for establishing the first Mammy Market within a Nigerian military barracks—an initiative that blossomed into a vital fixture across barracks nationwide, providing food, goods, and community interaction for military families.
Dignitaries, family members, and well-wishers gathered to pay their final respects, including Benue State Deputy Governor Sam Odeh, who hailed her as “a builder of lives and communities.”
“Mama Mammy was not just a market founder, she was a symbol of enterprise. Her vision turned into a national legacy,” Odeh said.
