₦700,000 to Find Love? Kingsley Okonkwo’s Matchmaking Platform Triggers Online Debate

Pastor Kingsley Okonkwo, founder of David’s Christian Centre and a prominent relationship coach, has drawn mixed reactions following the launch of his new Christian matchmaking platform, Mentor To Marry.

The platform is targeted at Christian singles looking for intentional relationships that could lead to marriage. It combines matchmaking with mentoring, assessments and other forms of guided support.

But while the initiative has attracted attention, its membership fees have become the main subject of discussion online.

According to details shared about the platform, annual membership packages range from ₦70,000 to ₦700,000, with the options structured into different tiers.

The highest fee, in particular, has prompted questions about whether the cost could make the service inaccessible to many singles.

One X user, @gatsegwasiPhD, questioned the pricing, arguing that it could favour financially comfortable men if the goal is to connect singles with suitable Christian partners.

“Don’t you see how you are contradicting yourself?” the user wrote, questioning how men who may not have substantial financial resources would be able to pay ₦700,000 to access the service.

Another user, @DaraMoren1, also criticised the concept, arguing that relationships were already becoming increasingly commercialised before questioning the decision to attach multiple paid tiers to the matchmaking service.

@ndilichi1261151 similarly questioned what value the most expensive package would provide compared with spending the same amount elsewhere in the dating space.

The criticism was not limited to X.

A Facebook user, King Phill, questioned what he described as an apparent contradiction between concerns about the commercialisation of relationships and charging people for matchmaking.

Another commenter, Comfort Bassey Bee, expressed a similar view, asking why the process was being commercialised if relationships were already becoming increasingly transactional.

However, the initiative has also received support.

Some Nigerians argued that matchmaking, counselling and relationship coaching are established services and that people should be able to pay for professional guidance if they consider it worthwhile.

Former Big Brother Naija housemate Neo defended the initiative, suggesting that professional counselling could help people make better relationship choices.

“The man did nothing wrong,” Neo said, adding that paying for counselling might help people who struggle to make sound decisions in relationships.

Others pointed out that Mentor To Marry is not presented simply as a platform for introducing men and women to one another. The service also involves mentorship and assessments, which supporters say could justify the cost of some of its membership tiers.

The debate has consequently centred less on the idea of Christian matchmaking itself and more on the cost, accessibility and commercial structure of the service.

As reactions continue online, Mentor To Marry has opened a wider conversation about whether paying for structured guidance can improve the search for a life partner — and where the line should be drawn between professional relationship services and the commercialisation of marriage.