Exclusive: Jeje, MOBicure's Tool To Tackle Mental Stress In Nigeria
Nigeria’s Mental Health Situation
At the beginning of 2020, The Nigerian government recognized that 3 in 10 Nigerians suffered from at least one form of mental health illness or the other. As reported by Vanguard Newspaper, the nation’s House of Representatives saw the need to take significant steps towards health improvement in this aspect.
In a bid the curb the increase, the House had mandated the committees in charge of healthcare services and health organizations, to work together with the Ministry of health, in other to improve and develop mental health services and structures across the nation. The House suggested that there should be continuous sensitization programs within the nation to help the situation.
Towards the end of 2022, the News Agency of Nigeria had an exclusive which deducted that about 60 million Nigerians still suffer from Mental illness. In an interview with the news agency, Taiwo Obindo, the President of the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria (APN) revealed that with such numbers only a few of the patients can access appropriate care. “Mental healthcare is in a sorry state given that we have more than 60 million Nigerians suffering from various mental illnesses and the fact that only about 10 per cent of them were able to access appropriate care. We are left with more than 90 per cent who are unable to access care and this group is called the treatment gap for mental illnesses,” the President said.
The mental health situation in the nation, according to facts, is alarming, especially with the health, sensitization and health workers gap.
MOBicure?
The versatility of technology is an aid to mankind. For those that can maximize its power, there is an obvious reward.
MOBicure, a Nigerian health-tech platform, is one of the startups that have thrived on the power of technology, thereby making an impact within its community.
Providing health services via a digital platform, MOBicure endeavours to proffer solutions to some pressing health-related challenges across Nigeria. Through mobile devices, which include phones, Interactive Voice Recordings (IVRs), tablets and its relative, Nigerians can gain access to health solutions.
The startup has developed a few interesting product services such as myPaddi and OMOMi, intending to help Nigerians, especially with sexual and reproductive health and also maternal and child health.
The health-tech startup was founded by Dr Charles I. Akhimien and Dr Emmanuel Owobu in 2015.
Introducing Jeje
As part of its mission to provide solutions to health-related challenges in Nigeria and Across Africa at large, MOBicure has yet again launched another product service that will tackle mental stress, the product, Jeje.
In an exclusive interview with The OuutThe Ouut, MOBicure’s Chief Idea Officer, Sonia Azeta, revealed MOBicure’s intention with the new product service.
” Jeje is our latest product. The idea behind Jeje is the fact that we understand that people go through stress, everyday life itself can be stressful, and most people don’t even have the ability, knowledge or capacity to deal with stress, can have not figured out a way to make life better and easier for them. So Jeje launched as an avenue to give people mental wellness and stress relaxing resources so they know how to handle and deal with stress better.” Sonia said.
The product service is a multi-package digital platform. It includes an e-commerce section, where access to physical, stress-relaxing, self-care and affirmation products can be purchased. Asides from physical products, the platform also offers consultation services, where users can schedule to speak with a certified therapist, that can help with mental stress, guiding users to solutions to mental health-related issues. There are social media platforms attached to Jeje that also offers sensitization content, to properly educated its budding community about mental illnesses and how to attain mental wellness.
Being such a focused product, Sonia revealed the purpose and goal of the product service. “The goal of Jeje in the Nigerian space is to be a constant reminder that mental health is also as important as physical health. Nigerians are known to laugh their stress away without paying enough attention or finding a solution. Also, we want Jeje to be the go-to product for people when it comes to mental wellness and self-care resources. Most importantly, we want to be that constant reminder that life na Jeje, we shouldn’t go life allowing stress to take a toll on us, without detoxification.”
The Grand Entrance
MOBicure decided to launch JeJe in grand style. The product service had a launch event which took place live in Benin city, Edo state, the founding state for MOBicure.
The Jeje Live event was held to give people a live experience of the latest service. The event had a panel session, where people from various fields in businesses came together to discuss personal relatable ways to handle stress.
Other activities such as Yoga, Therapy, Sip and paint, Neck massage, Open rant and Product display sessions were held live at the launching event.
Important dignitaries such as successful entrepreneur, Mrs Rume Cole Akhimien, Reverand Chisom Ijeakhena and Content Strategist, Victory Wrights also graced the occasion.
“At the end of the day, you only have you and in all your activities, you should always find time to take care of yourself because life na Jeje and Jeje is here to help you take care of your mental wellness and self-care,” Sonia said in a closing remark.