In commemoration of the 2024 World Mental Health Day (WMHD) which held Thursday October 10, 2024 with the theme “Mental Health at Work”, renowned Nigerian philanthropist and businessman, Mr. Tonye Patrick Cole, is raising awareness to address mental health crisis among Nigerian youths in order to impact them and several others through the Behavioural Health Institute (BHI) by providing FREE therapy/coaching to 1,000 Nigerian Youths.
   
This awareness campaign, which is in partnership with Global financial technology provider, Leatherback got the philanthropist to undertake one of the greatest physical challenges of his life: climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak. This journey, however, transcends a personal achievement, one that led to mental health crisis awareness.
  
Cole’s Mount Kilimanjaro expedition is a cornerstone of a broader effort to raise N500 million by the end of 2024. The funds will provide free therapy/coaching for 1,000 Nigerian youths, supporting BHI’s groundbreaking work in expanding access to care. The funds will also contribute to training mental health professionals and integrating innovative technology solutions to widen the reach of care in Nigeria.
  
According to Cole who is also BHI co-founder, during the mental health awareness event in Lagos tagged ‘The Kilimanjaro Challenge: Climbing for Mental Awareness’, “there should be a shared commitment to addressing mental health. Nigeria faces a dire shortage of mental health professionals, with just one for every 1,000,000 people. This severe lack of access leaves millions of young Nigerians without the support they need. Recognising this urgent crisis, BHI in 2019 decided to help bridge the gap in mental health services by leveraging technology, training, and capacity-building initiatives.”