Mrs. Mary Madu Hamman was born on 2nd November 1960 at General Hospital Jan Kwanu Jos to the family of Madaki Auta Ndahi and Mama Yathlama who were natives of Marama, Hawul Local Government of Borno State. She is the sixth child of the family and the second girl child after 4 boys therefore the nickname Kande. Her siblings include Late Mrs. Darpi Peter, Mr. WanaAutaNdahi, Bata M. Auta(Sotoma Zanna Borno and Wakilin Shehu of Borno) Justice Ibrahim N. AutaOFR Rtd Chief Judge Federal High Court (MadakinBiu and Turakin Jos) Mr. Musa M. Auta and Mrs. Saratu Joshua Nggada.

Her early childhood was in Jos and she was enrolled into Baptish Primary School Bukuru Jos. She eventually relocated back home to stay with her Senior Sister Late Mrs. Darpi Peter and subsequently with her paternal Grand Mother Miti Bata. She completed her primary school education at Marama Primary School in 1974. She got admission to Biu Government Community Secondary school in 1974 to 1979. She actively participated in sports while in Secondary school and was made the Games Perfect. After passing her WAEC she was admitted to Advanced Teacher’s College Maiduguri in 1979 to 1980 and then to University of Maiduguri in 1981 to 1985 where she obtained her B. A (Ed) English.

In 1984 while she was still in the University, she got married to her childhood heartthrob Madu Hamman who was then already working for a bank in Lagos. Therefore, upon completion of her degree from the University in 1985 she was automatically posted to Lagos for her one-year NYSC program and served at Eko Girls High School Okota, Lagos. In 1987 she secured employment with the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) as a Postal Controller and worked at the GPO Marina Lagos until 1993 when she left to joined National Maritime Authority (NMA) now Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) as Senior Commercial Officer. In her 27 years of Service in NIMASA she worked in various Departments among which are the Shipping Development, Research and Planning and Cabotage Services Department. She also served as S.A Special Duties to the Director General in 2007/08.

Mary attended several local and international courses while at NIMASA. These includes Anatomy of Shipping Cambridge University U.K. Human Resource Management Program University of Witwatersrand Johannesburg, General Shipping Management, Mumbai India, Managing Safety London, Shipping and International Trade, Albion College London just to mention few.

In her pursuit for self-development she also proceeded to do her Post Graduate Diploma (PGD) with Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) in 1999/2000 and subsequently did MBA Human Resource Management with Lagos State University (LASU) in 2003/2004. She is also a member of several professional bodies among which are Fellow Nigerian Institute of Shipping, Chartered Fellow Institute of Logistics and Transport as well as Female Representative in Council of CILT in2014-2016, and Fellow Emergency, Crisis Management Institute.

Mary is also a member of several Associations like Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA Nigeria) which she is the immediate past National President from 2015-2020, and onetime a member of the WISTA International nomination Committee, Association of Nigerian Women Business Network (ANWBN) where she is the immediate past Treasury 2018-2020, Women in Logistics and Transport (WILAT) where she served as the first elected Treasurer. She is also a member of Women in Maritime Africa (WIMA) Nigerian Chapter where she is a Trustee and was the first Secretary of the Association.

Apart from her professional life Mary is has been very active in the service of God. She has over the past years been at several times Church Elder at her local Church EYN (Church of the Brethren) Ikeja a choir member and Women Leader for the local Church Council (LCC). Currently serves as the Church Adviser for the Local Church Council (LCC) as well as the District Church Council (DCC) Women Leader and District Church Council (DCC) Treasurer.

On the home front, Mary has been a loving wife and friend to her husband Madu Hamman for about 36 years and they are blessed with lovely two daughters Miss Hyelni Hamman and Mrs. Hauwa Thomas, a son Madu Isaac Hamman, a son in-law Deonte L. Thomas and two grandsons Dean L. Thomas and Daylen L. Thomas.

Mary retired from active meritorious and unblemished service with NIMASA as a Deputy Director Cabotage Services on 2nd November 2020 after attaining the age of 60 years.