Nigerian matchmaker links HIV positive people for relationship

Michael Ugochukwu runs a match making business in Nigeria’s capital Abuja where he brings people living with HIV together.
He said he had played a part in the marriage of around 100 couples in recent years.
The 45-year-old started his service in 2012 with the desire to help those he describes as Nigeria’s “rejects” after becoming disillusioned with widespread stigmas toward people with HIV.

I want to reach out to those who could not afford, those who don't even, those who are so ignorant they don't know who to rely on.

“I want to reach out to those who could not afford, those who don’t even, those who are so ignorant they don’t know who to rely to. That’s my target. I go to villages, I talk to these people, some people get the virus in town, they go to village to go and die waiting for death to come,” he said.
Ugochukwu said he had some 7,000 clients on his list, ranging in age from 19 to 72, six out of seven of them are women.

He charges a fee of 2,000 naira ($6) for people who work, but his service is free for the unemployed.
“The major challenge is about money, and you can see some of my systems are down, I need to be educated. I did not go to any formal school about this,” he added.
An Abuja resident, Funmi Kuju said the matchmaking platform is helpful because it enables people living in different cities to meet.