Pastor Kingsley Okonkwo faces backlash over N700,000 matchmaking platform

Popular relationship coach and lead pastor of David’s Christian Centre, Kingsley Okonkwo, has come under intense public backlash following the launch of his new faith-based matchmaking platform called “Mentor To Marry”.

The primary driver of the controversy is the tiered membership fee structure, which tops out at a staggering N700,000 annually for the VIP package.

Okonkwo announced the platform in a series of social media posts, describing it as a structured community for Christians seeking intentional relationships and marriage.

The platform offers three membership categories—Regular, Premium and VIP—with fees ranging from N70,000 to N700,000.

According to Okonkwo, the initiative was developed against the backdrop of what he described as the growing commercialisation of relationships and the difficulty some singles face in finding genuine partners.

He also argued that financial considerations had increasingly influenced relationships, making it harder for people to build connections based on genuine friendship and shared values.

Okonkwo said Mentor To Marry was open to men irrespective of their social or financial status.

The cleric described the platform as a “guided marriage-preparation and matching community for serious Christian singles who desire intentional, Kingdom-minded marriages.”

“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 conventional dating platforms, Mentor To Marry requires intending members to undergo an eight-week process involving mentoring classes, personal assessments and guided reflection before gaining access to its matchmaking services.

According to the platform’s guidelines, membership does not guarantee that users will find a partner or get married.

It also has strict rules prohibiting harassment, fraud, catfishing and explicit content.

A free community option is reportedly available for singles who are not ready to commit financially to the paid membership packages.

However, the announcement has drawn criticism from some Nigerians, particularly over the cost of membership, with several social media users questioning the affordability of a platform designed to help Christian singles find marriage partners.

@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.

I don’t blame you all, I blame people who has given you so much relevance that they fail to know God for themselves.”

@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 has since continued online, highlighting the growing intersection of faith, relationships and the rising financial demands associated with dating and marriage.