The Story Of Mama Erdoo Traditional Attires
More than 20 years ago, Christiana Jov set up a small table in Makurdi, selling petty items. She didn’t set out to sell Benue native attire. At first, it was beads and caps, then wrappers, traditional bags, and full traditional wear. What started as a means of livelihood has become a household name: Mama Erdoo Traditional Attires.
“My name is Christiana Jov,” she says. “I’m from Nnanev Mbawa in Guma Local Government, Benue State. I was born on the 25th of December,1975. I’m a mother of two and the owner of Mama Erdoo Traditional Attires.” Her shop sits opposite Mountain of Fire Church, North Bank, Makurdi. The name came naturally. Erdoo is her daughter’s name, and as customers and neighbours began calling her Mama Erdoo, she kept it and turned it into the business name.
The business grew by paying attention to what people wanted. After adding traditional beads and caps, she noticed they sold well. She added wrappers, traditional bags, and attire, and began taking items to banks and offices to advertise. People started to patronise her, collect her contact details, and soon orders and delivery calls followed.
In the early days, sourcing fabric was the biggest challenge. She travelled to villages like Ushongo, Gboko, and Adikpo to meet local weavers and buy traditional wears. To make work easier and faster, they later got a place for the weavers and mobilised them to come to Makurdi. “All they do is weave while we sew and sell,” she explains. The proximity helps them meet deadlines and deliver on time.
Sales follow the rhythm of the culture. In Makurdi, there’s an annual Tiv gathering called Kyegh Sha Shwa Cultural Festival, usually around November and December, and the dress code is Tiv traditional attire (A’nger). That season brings strong sales. They also sell well during church Thanksgivings and Cultural Day in schools, when children wear native attire. Outside these times, sales are not as strong.
There was a time the shop was full daily, and sales ran all day. Now, the current economy has affected the business. Even so, the impact of the work is clear. “With this business, I trained my two biological children from primary school to university,” she says. “Alongside other children too. Till now, I’m still raising and training children with and in the business.” She has trained and empowered more than 20 people. Many now have shops in different parts of the country, including Abuja and Lafia, and they are doing well.
Her son handles deliveries and sends waybills when needed. The business has also allowed her to buy cars, land, and houses, among other things. “I’m very proud of this business,” she says. “When I see people wearing our attire, it gives me a sense of fulfilment.”
Though Mama Erdoo is older now and doesn’t have the strength she once had, her hope is steady: the people she has trained and her children will keep the business alive when she is no more.
To place orders or support Mama Erdoo Traditional Attires, you can reach her on
08130920938 or 08059282449.