23.6% of paternity tests negative, as ‘1 in 4 men not biological fathers of their children - Report claims

A new DNA testing report has reignited conversations around paternity, trust and family relationships in Nigeria after 23.6 per cent of paternity tests conducted by Smart DNA Nigeria during its 2025/2026 reporting period returned negative results.

In practical terms, the result means that nearly one in four men tested by the laboratory was excluded as the biological father of the child involved.

But Smart DNA is warning Nigerians not to turn the figure into a national statistic.

The company stressed that its clients were not a random sample of Nigerian families. They were people who had already developed doubts, concerns or specific reasons for seeking a DNA test. Consequently, the 23.6 per cent figure cannot be used to claim that one in four Nigerian fathers is raising a child who is not biologically his.

The latest figure represents a marginal decline from 24 per cent in the previous reporting period and 26.1 per cent in 2023, continuing a gradual downward movement in negative paternity outcomes.

The number that needs context

The headline figure is striking, but the composition of the testing population matters.

Someone with no reason to question the biological relationship between a father and child is unlikely to voluntarily pay for a paternity test. That means people who appear in a DNA laboratory's database are already a selected group.

Smart DNA therefore cautioned against extrapolating its findings to the wider Nigerian population.

Its Marketing Manager, Chukwudi Eze, urged attention to another side of the data: roughly three out of every four men tested were confirmed as the biological fathers.

That distinction is important because a laboratory's exclusion rate measures the outcome among people who sought testing; it does not measure the prevalence of non-paternity across the country.

Most Nigerians are testing for ‘peace of mind’

The report also provides an insight into why Nigerians are increasingly turning to DNA testing.

About 87 per cent of the tests recorded during the reporting period were classified as “Peace of Mind” tests — private examinations initiated by individuals rather than tests required for court proceedings, immigration or other formal purposes.

That represents an increase from 83.7 per cent in the preceding period, suggesting that personal uncertainty and the search for reassurance are becoming an increasingly important reason for DNA testing in Nigeria.

Immigration-related tests accounted for 9.7 per cent, while legal tests represented 1.9 per cent. Avuncular tests made up one per cent, with prenatal testing accounting for 0.4 per cent.

The shift is notable because the previous annual report had highlighted the growing role of immigration-related testing amid Nigerians seeking opportunities abroad. The latest figures suggest private family concerns now account for an even larger share of demand.

Men over 30 dominate testing

The report also paints a clear picture of the age profile of male clients.

Men aged 41 and above accounted for 48 per cent of age-classified male records, while those aged 31 to 40 represented another 35.8 per cent.

Combined, men above 30 therefore accounted for 83.8 per cent of the male testing population.

On the other side of the test, young children dominated the figures. Children aged five and below accounted for 59.5 per cent of tested individuals.

Smart DNA said the concentration among younger children could indicate that families increasingly prefer to settle questions surrounding biological relationships early, although the data cannot establish why those families chose to test.

Lagos remains the DNA-testing capital

Geographically, Lagos continued to dominate.

The state accounted for 75.1 per cent of classified cases, up from 69 per cent in the preceding reporting period.

Within Lagos, Lekki, Ajah, Ikorodu, Yaba and Ikeja recorded the highest numbers among named locations, while Lagos Mainland represented 61.6 per cent of Lagos cases with specific location classifications.

But the rest of the country is beginning to feature more prominently.

Outside Lagos, Ogun recorded the highest testing activity, followed by Delta, Oyo, Rivers, Enugu, Edo, Abuja, Imo and Kwara.

Smart DNA said the increase outside Lagos suggested that awareness of DNA testing and demand for its services were gradually spreading across Nigeria.

Men are driving the demand

The gender pattern is equally pronounced.

Men initiated 78.6 per cent of first contacts recorded by the company, compared with 15.2 per cent initiated by women.

The ethnic breakdown of clients was led by Yoruba at 52.6 per cent, followed by Igbo at 29.1 per cent, Edo at 5.8 per cent and a combined 5.4 per cent for Delta, Ijaw, Isoko, Urhobo and Itsekiri groups. Hausa clients accounted for one per cent.

Smart DNA stressed that these figures reflect its client and geographical distribution, not differences in paternity behaviour between ethnic groups.

What the report does — and does not — tell us

The findings offer a window into the growing role of DNA technology in resolving questions about biological relationships, but they cannot explain the circumstances that produce those questions.

A DNA test can establish biological paternity with a high degree of accuracy. It cannot, by itself, explain the relationship, cultural, financial or social circumstances that led a family to seek the test.

That distinction is particularly important in an area as emotionally charged as paternity.

The company's own warning is therefore perhaps the most important takeaway from the report: 23.6 per cent is a figure for Smart DNA's testing population, not a measurement of Nigerian society as a whole.

The previous annual report similarly highlighted the importance of sample bias, noting that its clients already had specific reasons to question paternity.

So while “one in four” makes for a powerful headline, the data support a more measured conclusion.

Nearly one in four paternity tests carried out by this particular laboratory during the reporting period produced a negative result — while approximately three in four confirmed biological fatherhood.

Beyond the numbers, the report points to something broader: Nigerians are increasingly willing to use DNA testing to replace suspicion, rumours and uncertainty with scientific evidence.

And in matters of family, that distinction can carry consequences far beyond the laboratory.