23.6% Negative: New DNA Data Shows Paternity Doubts Remain High Among Nigerian Men

New laboratory data reveals 23.6% negative paternity results, with firstborn sons most affected—but experts warn against misinterpreting the figures as a national prevalence rate.

A new DNA testing report has revealed that nearly one in four paternity tests conducted in Nigeria returned negative results during the 2025/2026 reporting period, meaning the tested man was not the biological father. The data, released by Smart DNA Nigeria, shows that 23.6 per cent of recorded paternity test outcomes were negative, marking a gradual decline from 24 per cent in the preceding period and 26.1 per cent in 2023. The report has sparked widespread discussion about family dynamics, trust, and the growing role of scientific evidence in resolving questions of biological parentage across Nigeria. However, Smart DNA has cautioned strongly against interpreting the figures as evidence that nearly one in four Nigerian fathers are unknowingly raising children who are not biologically theirs. The company stressed that its clients are people who had already developed sufficient doubts or reasons to seek DNA testing, meaning the laboratory’s client population cannot be assumed to represent Nigerian families generally.

Smart DNA’s Operations Manager, Elizabeth Digia, said many clients sought testing because they were struggling with uncertainty over biological parentage rather than responding to external pressure. “Most of the men and women who come to us are not coming because anyone told them to. They are coming because they cannot live with the question,” Digia said, stressing that paternity cases should be handled with dignity rather than sensationalism. The data shows that men are overwhelmingly driving the demand for paternity testing. Male clients accounted for 78.6 per cent of first contacts, compared with just 15.2 per cent for women. Men aged 41 and above represented the largest age group among classified male records, accounting for 48 per cent, while those aged 31 to 40 accounted for another 35.8 per cent—meaning men above 30 years constituted 83.8 per cent of the male testing population. Experts suggest this pattern may reflect both financial stability and accumulated doubts over time. Children aged five or younger represented 59.5 per cent of tested individuals, indicating that many families prefer to resolve questions surrounding biological relationships early. However, the report noted that the data could not establish exactly when doubts about parentage first arose.

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One of the report’s most striking findings involves the pattern among firstborn children. Boys accounted for 56.1 per cent of negative firstborn outcomes in the latest reporting period, down from approximately 64.4 per cent in the previous period. This finding carries particular weight in a society where firstborn sons occupy an important position in family lineage, inheritance, and succession. A negative paternity result involving a first son can have implications far beyond the relationship between a couple, potentially affecting family identity, inheritance claims, and disputes over belonging. The report noted that cultural pressures around lineage and inheritance may explain why firstborn sons are twice as likely to be tested as firstborn daughters.

Lagos State continues to dominate Nigeria’s DNA testing landscape, accounting for an overwhelming 75.1 per cent of all classified cases, rising from 69 per cent in the preceding period. Within Lagos, the Mainland accounted for 61.6 per cent of cases with specific location classifications, with Lekki recording the highest number of named locations, followed by Ajah, Ikorodu, Yaba, and Ikeja. Outside Lagos, Ogun recorded the highest testing activity, followed by Delta, Oyo, Rivers, Enugu, Edo, Abuja, Imo, and Kwara. The report noted that testing activity outside Lagos increased during the period, suggesting that awareness and demand for DNA testing are gradually spreading across other parts of the country. The ethnic distribution 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. The Hausa accounted for just 1 per cent. Smart DNA said the figures reflected its geographical and client base rather than differences in paternity behaviour among ethnic groups.

The report revealed a notable shift in the reasons Nigerians sought DNA testing. Peace of Mind tests—private, self-initiated tests undertaken outside legal, immigration, or court proceedings—increased from 83.7 per cent to 87 per cent of recorded cases. This suggests that private investigations into biological parentage now account for most of the laboratory’s recorded cases, driven primarily by personal uncertainty rather than legal or immigration requirements. Immigration-related DNA testing fell from 13.1 per cent to 9.7 per cent, while legal tests accounted for only 1.9 per cent of cases. A year earlier, the report had highlighted a surge in immigration-related DNA testing to 13.1 per cent, reflecting Nigeria’s emigration trend popularly dubbed the “Japa” phenomenon, where families sought DNA documentation for children’s foreign relocation. The current decline suggests that broader awareness and access may now be driving demand. Smart DNA’s Marketing Manager, Chukwudi Eze, offered a perspective that invites a more balanced reading of the numbers. He noted that the focus should not only be on the “one in four” negative results but also on the fact that three out of every four men tested were confirmed as the biological fathers. “The number people talk about is one in four. But the number they should be talking about is three in four,” Eze said.

The Smart DNA report has also reignited calls for legal reform. Digia lamented the absence of specific laws in Nigeria addressing paternity fraud, a legal gap that leaves many men without recourse after discovering they are not the biological fathers of children they may have raised for years. “Nigeria lacks specific paternity fraud laws, unlike South Africa, leaving men with little legal recourse after years of financial responsibility for children proven not to be theirs,” she said. Legal scholars have similarly pointed to the fragmented and outdated nature of Nigeria’s parentage framework. The Evidence Act provides a presumption of legitimacy—a child born during a valid marriage is presumed to be the husband’s child—but this presumption can be rebutted through DNA testing. However, section 37 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution protects citizens’ right to privacy, creating a barrier to compulsory DNA testing. The absence of a comprehensive Parentage and Paternity Act, the lack of civil remedies or criminal sanctions for fraudulent mothers, weak birth registration systems, and insufficient protection of a child’s right to identity remain major challenges. Some legal scholars have called for constitutional amendment to permit court-ordered DNA testing, criminalisation of deliberate misattribution, and robust civil remedies for victims. Digia has also advocated for reforms that include integrating DNA testing into family health and premarital counselling programmes, as well as nationwide public awareness campaigns aimed at correcting misconceptions around DNA testing.

Experts have urged men who receive negative results to avoid directing anger or blame at children, who have no control over the circumstances surrounding their birth or the decision to conduct a test. A child who suddenly becomes the focus of a dispute over biological parentage may experience rejection, confusion, and emotional distress, particularly if the result contributes to the breakdown of the parents’ relationship. The report maintained that while DNA testing could provide highly accurate answers to biological questions, it could not independently explain the social, cultural, economic, or relationship circumstances that led families to seek such tests. It urged the public to rely on evidence rather than rumours or sensational claims when discussing paternity testing and family relationships in Nigeria.

Despite the decline from 26.1 per cent in 2023 to 24 per cent in 2024/2025 and 23.6 per cent in 2025/2026, the figures show that questions surrounding paternity remain a significant reason Nigerians turn to DNA technology. The data also point to a broader change in how Nigerians resolve questions of biological identity. As testing becomes more accessible and awareness grows, the trend could become more pronounced. For Smart DNA, the latest figures represent more than laboratory statistics. They reflect an increasing number of Nigerians turning to scientific evidence when uncertainty about biological fatherhood becomes difficult to live with. And while the negative-result rate has declined for three consecutive reporting periods, its persistence above 20 per cent ensures that paternity testing will remain an emotionally charged issue for Nigerian families.