Maria Ochefu, the visionary behind the renowned Mammy Market, which was set up in military barracks throughout Nigeria, passed away peacefully in her sleep on March 18, 2025.
Her son, Professor Yakubu Ochefu, confirmed her passing in a phone interview on March 20. At the age of 86, she had been receiving treatment at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital in Makurdi.
She was only a few weeks shy of her 87th birthday in April.
The Mammy Market is a popular marketplace concept created to serve the needs of soldiers and their families.
