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One in four men who underwent paternity testing in Nigeria during Smart DNA Nigeria’s 2025/2026 reporting period were found not to be the biological fathers of the children tested, according to the company’s latest annual DNA Testing Report.
The report showed that 23.6 per cent of paternity tests returned negative results, a slight decline from 24.0 per cent in the previous reporting period and 26.1 per cent in 2023.
Smart DNA, however, cautioned against interpreting the figures to mean that one in four Nigerian children is not biologically related to the man regarded as their father. It explained that most clients had already developed doubts or specific reasons for seeking DNA confirmation.
The report revealed that 87 per cent of the tests were private “Peace of Mind” tests, suggesting that personal concerns and the desire for certainty were the major drivers of DNA testing. Immigration-related tests accounted for 9.7 per cent, legal tests 1.9 per cent, avuncular tests one per cent and prenatal tests 0.4 per cent.
Men above 30 accounted for 83.8 per cent of the male testing population, with men aged 41 and above representing 48 per cent. Lagos dominated geographically, accounting for 75.1 per cent of classified cases, followed by Ogun, Delta, Oyo, Rivers, Enugu, Edo, Abuja, Imo and Kwara.
