Pastor Kingsley Okonkwo, lead pastor of David’s Christian Centre and a popular relationship coach, has drawn mixed reactions after launching Mentor To Marry, a Christian matchmaking platform with membership packages costing up to N700,000 yearly.
The platform is designed to help Christian singles find serious and God-centred relationships. Its launch comes amid concerns over the rising financial demands linked to dating and marriage.
In a post on X, Okonkwo criticised what he called the growing commercialisation of relationships, saying financial expectations have made it harder for some young men to find genuine love.
“When we were young all you had to get was a girl’s phone number, but now all they want to send is their account number,” he wrote.
He said men are now often expected to help with rent, school fees and transportation before being taken seriously in relationships.
Promoting Mentor To Marry, Okonkwo said it was created to connect serious, godly and well-mentored singles from different parts of the world.
“I can assure you that not all women are in relationships for business. There are a lot of good women looking to connect with serious godly men on our platform,” he said.
Unlike regular dating apps, members must complete an eight-week process involving mentoring classes, personal assessments and guided reflection before accessing matchmaking services.
The platform says membership does not guarantee finding a partner or getting married. It also bans harassment, fraud, catfishing and explicit content.
A free community option is available for singles unable to commit financially to the paid packages.
However, some Nigerians have criticised the membership fees, questioning whether such a platform is affordable for Christian singles seeking marriage.
@gatsegwasiPhD wrote, “Don’t you see how you are contradicting yourself? You say rships are commercialised and men who don’t have money should still pay 700k to meet “godly” women? So tell me who has such amount if not rich men? What’s the difference between this and what pimps do?
@DaraMoren1, “Relationship has been so commercialised nowadays” yet you went ahead to commercialize it. Mentor to Marry price list has Reg, Premium & VIP.
@EnjayQuaine, “It’s sad honestly, It’s hard for a guy to find a genuine relationship out there. If you got one as a child, hold it as long as you can. The outside world is brutally cold.”
@ndilichi1261151, :Do you know what that 700K will do for me in the gen z dating scene rather than put it in your link?”
The debate continues online over faith, relationships and the growing financial demands tied to dating and marriage.
