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A new report by Smart DNA Nigeria has revealed that 23.6 per cent of paternity tests conducted during its 2025/2026 reporting period returned negative results, indicating that the tested man was not the biological father of the child involved.
In its latest annual DNA Testing Report released in Lagos, the company said the figure represents a slight decline from 24 per cent recorded in the previous year and 26.1 per cent in 2023.
The firm, however, cautioned against interpreting the findings to mean that one in every four Nigerian children is not biologically related to the man regarded as their father. It explained that the statistics only reflect people who already had doubts strong enough to request DNA testing.
Smart DNA's Marketing Manager, Chukwudi Eze, noted that while public attention often focuses on the negative results, the larger picture is that more than three out of every four men tested were confirmed as the biological fathers of the children.
According to the report, 87 per cent of all tests conducted were "Peace of Mind" tests initiated privately by individuals rather than through court proceedings, immigration processes or other official channels, underscoring the growing demand for personal certainty.
Immigration-related tests accounted for 9.7 per cent of cases, while legal, avuncular and prenatal tests represented smaller proportions of the company's workload.
Operations Manager Elizabeth Digia said many clients sought DNA testing to resolve deeply personal concerns they found difficult to discuss openly, stressing the need to treat such cases with sensitivity and avoid sensationalising the outcomes.
The report also showed that men aged 41 and above made up the largest group of male clients, accounting for 48 per cent of age-classified records, while those between 31 and 40 years represented 35.8 per cent, bringing the proportion of men above 30 years to 83.8 per cent.
Children aged five years and below accounted for nearly 60 per cent of those tested, suggesting that many families preferred to resolve questions about biological relationships early in a child's life.
Lagos remained the centre of DNA testing activity, accounting for 75.1 per cent of classified cases, with Lekki, Ajah, Ikorodu, Yaba and Ikeja recording the highest demand. Ogun, Delta, Oyo, Rivers, Enugu, Edo, the FCT, Imo and Kwara also recorded notable testing activity outside Lagos.
The report further revealed that men initiated 78.6 per cent of first contacts with the company, while women accounted for 15.2 per cent. Smart DNA stressed that its data reflects only its client population and should not be used to make broad conclusions about Nigerian families or paternity nationwide.
The company urged the public to rely on verified evidence rather than rumours or sensational claims when discussing DNA testing, noting that while the technology can accurately establish biological relationships, it does not explain the personal, social or cultural factors that lead families to seek such tests.
