World Mental Health Day: Bet9ja Advocates for Responsible Gambling

Martins Ifijeh

Following increased incidence of mental health issues in Nigeria, including suicide cases, one of Nigeria’s leading betting company, Bet9ja has called on Nigerians to engage in responsible gambling.

Stating this during the commemoration of the 2019 World Mental Health Day in Lagos recently, the Managing Director, Bet9ja, Ayo Ojuroye said addiction in gambling may lead to mental health issues, hence the core strategy of the company to ensure Nigerians engage in responsible gambling, which it tagged: More Than Just A Bet.

He said: “We are calling for mental health and addiction treatment, awareness and support to make the society a better place for all.

“This year, the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) has decided to make suicide prevention the main theme for this year. Suicide is a global public health problem that deserves the attention of all the actors in the field of mental health, including scientific and professional mental health users and their families, universities, among others.

“It deserves attention of everyone, and government should craft policies and directives aimed at establishing strategies to prevent suicide and promote the public’s mental health.”

He said getting people to talk about a subject that tends to be taboo and about which many holds mistaken, and prejudiced ideas will help people to learn about the risk factors so that they can identify and learn to address them.

The conference called for everyone’s help, to be advocates of mental health in their capacity no matter how little to reduce and eventually eradicate the rising issues of suicide in Nigeria especially among the youths.