A Christian matchmaking platform launched by relationship coach and pastor, Kingsley Okonkwo, has sparked debate among Nigerians over its annual membership fees, particularly the N700,000 charged for its VIP package.

The platform, Mentor To Marry, offers three membership plans ranging from N70,000 to N700,000 annually, with the VIP package providing subscribers with a dedicated matchmaker and coach, priority access to its founders, off-platform introductions and other services.

Okonkwo, the lead pastor of David’s Christian Centre, unveiled the platform on X on Wednesday, describing it as a faith-based matchmaking and marriage-preparation community for serious Christian singles seeking intentional relationships.

The controversy followed comments by the pastor criticising what he described as the increasing commercialisation of relationships, particularly the financial expectations placed on men seeking partners.

Okonkwo said, “relationships have been so commercialised nowadays that it’s almost impossible for a young man to find true love,” while lamenting demands for men to pay rent, school fees and transport before being taken seriously.

He subsequently directed men interested in meeting “godly well mentored ladies from all over the world” to Mentor To Marry.

However, some Nigerians questioned the apparent contradiction between his criticism of commercialised relationships and the platform’s membership fees.

Critics argued that charging hundreds of thousands of naira to access matchmaking and mentoring services amounted to commercialising the search for marriage.

One Facebook user, King Phill, asked why Okonkwo was commercialising relationships after criticising the practice, while another user, Salome Zamani, said the cost had discouraged her from trying the platform.

On X, users including @gatsegwasiPhD and @DaraMoren1 also questioned the N700,000 VIP fee, arguing that it appeared inconsistent with Okonkwo’s earlier comments about the financial pressures surrounding relationships.

The initiative, however, received support from some Nigerians who argued that Okonkwo was charging for professional counselling and matchmaking services rather than for his religious ministry.

Former Big Brother Naija housemate, Neo, defended the platform, saying consumers were entitled to pay for services they considered valuable.

Other supporters similarly argued that Okonkwo’s professional marriage counselling services should be distinguished from his pastoral activities and that professionals were entitled to charge for their expertise.

According to information on the Mentor To Marry platform, the programme begins with eight weeks of mentoring classes, assessments and guided reflection before members gain access to matchmaking services.

The Regular plan costs N70,000 annually and includes mentoring classes, assessments, limited profile access, an accountability system, five weekly chats and access to a country-based matching pool.

The Premium package costs N350,000 annually and includes unlimited profile browsing, monthly profile recommendations, priority access to coaches, global profiles, 10 weekly chats and private groups.

The VIP package costs N700,000 annually and includes a dedicated matchmaker and coach, priority access to the founders, 15 weekly chats, off-platform introductions, profile protection and access to global profiles.

The platform states that payment does not guarantee a match, mutual interest or marriage, stressing that its objective is to prepare singles for marriage through relationship education, accountability and guided mentoring.

Mentor To Marry is operated by Love, Dating and Marriage Ministries, which the platform describes as a non-profit organisation registered in Nigeria.

The service is targeted at Christians aged 25 and above, with members required to identify as Christians and agree to the organisation’s statement of faith.

Participants must also be unmarried, divorced or widowed, while the platform prohibits sexual harassment, exploitation, abuse, fraud, catfishing, sexually explicit content and financial exploitation.

Okonkwo and his wife, Mildred Okonkwo, are listed among the founders of the platform, with the organisation citing their experience in pastoral care and marriage mentoring.

Efforts by Saturday PUNCH to obtain Okonkwo’s response to the criticism were unsuccessful as of the time of filing the report.

An associate who answered his phone directed the correspondent to send the inquiry via WhatsApp, but the message sent to Okonkwo’s WhatsApp line received no response. Messages sent to his Instagram account also went unanswered.