Popular relationship coach and lead pastor of David’s Christian Centre, Kingsley Okonkwo, has stirred debate on social media after urging men to raise their standards in choosing marriage partners.
Okonkwo made the remarks on Sunday, March 15, 2026, in a series of posts shared via his official X (formerly Twitter) handle, where he argued that many men now see marriage as a burden because they often end up with partners who depend solely on them financially.
He wrote, “Men, it’s high time we start having standards as well. You guys are too used to women who are liabilities, that’s why less and less men desire marriage; they see it as a burden.
“Men should set standards like refusing to marry broke women too — that you want a partner and not a dependent. Maybe it will make more women work and not see marriage and dating as a poverty alleviation scheme.”
Addressing what he described as the religious and social implications of the trend, Okonkwo said the prevailing expectation that only men should shoulder financial responsibility in relationships is “unbiblical” and “damaging.”
He noted that while many women openly insist on marrying wealthy men, men should also prioritise partners who are willing to contribute meaningfully.
According to him, “While women brazenly insist on rich men, men should also insist on working women who will contribute.”
The cleric also criticised men who deliberately seek financially vulnerable women in order to dominate them in relationships, describing such behaviour as harmful.
“Yes, I know some of you men like the needy, hungry and dependent women because it boosts your ego and helps you control women, but it’s doing more harm than good. All humans have value and abilities; let them develop it,” he added.
