Didi Edet is an in-house dating coach at Lagosmatchmaker, a privacy-focused matchmaking platform for singles of over 25 years.

She is the first United State’s Certified and award-winning Dating Coach in Nigeria, and has been matchmaking for over seven years.

An Economics graduate from Howard University, Washington DC, she also holds a Masters degree in International Strategy from University of St-Andrews, Scotland.

Didi shares with Allure Vanguard the need for match making, challenges of a matchmaker and lots more.

Can you tell us more about what you do?

I am a Certified Dating Coach with Lagosmatchmaker. We focus on connecting singles above 25 years, and letting them enjoy the dating process. We do not get into the relationship aspect. We just focus on meeting an individual, and then, go on to have the first and second date.

Why did you go into matchmaking?

Lagosmatchmaker is a privacy-focused matchmaking platform for like-minded individuals. It was birthed out of the need for privacy in certain aspects of our lives like dating. A lot of my friends I spoke to, wanted to be able to search for a date without leading with: who they are?

In this age of Internet fraud, how can one trust online matchmaking?

I don’t think there is any worry with internet fraud with Lagosmatchmaker because, it’s not strictly an online match-making platform. We do have an office located off Admiralty way, Lekki, where clients can come in and have a discussion about the process, if they so wish. But we discovered that a lot of people don’t have the time which is why a lot of our work are done online.

Who qualifies to consult a matchmaker? And can you be consulted?

Anyone with a busy schedule can consult a matchmaker. I always say, it’s the same as outsourcing cleaning or cooking because, you don’t have the time to do those things yourself. The same way matchmaking is a service that helps busy people who have little or no time to socialize and meet someone at their convenience.

Why are men shying away from making the first move?

I would not say men are shying away from making the first move. Men, for decades, have been told they are the ones to make the first move. But in this new era, women are now able to make the first move. So you might find an increase in the number of women searching for a man. Because it’s new and it’s effective than having to choose a spouse out of just the ones that choose you. These days, you can make a choice rather than choosing from your available options.

How should a woman react if she loves a man but feels the man should make the first move?

I would tell that lady to make the move herself. I do believe in communicating what you feel rather than being quiet and hoping in some magical way, he should know how you feel.

Do you think there is too much fuss about Valentine?

Valentine’s day has always had a lot of attention as deserved. It’s like every other holiday or memorable day. It deserves to be celebrated.

How best should a couple celebrate Valentine?

There is no one way to how a couple should celebrate Valentine’s day, different strokes for different folks.

What are those things that should be put into consideration before going into marriage or a long term relationship?

I stay on the dating aspect of life not the relationship aspect as I am exploring that myself. Relationships are too broad to try to understand. So, I rarely divulge into actual relationship discussions or advice.

What are those major challenges you face? How do you tackle them?

One of the challenges we often encounter, is being able to explain better what the platform does and the process.

What would you say is the height of your career?

We aim to keep matching and creating lasting relationships.