The company disclosed in a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday, August 24, 2026, that 23.6 per cent of recorded paternity test results were negative, meaning the tested man was not the biological father of the child.
The figure represents a slight decline from the 24 per cent recorded in the previous reporting period and 26.1 per cent in 2023.
However, Smart DNA Nigeria cautioned against interpreting the findings to mean that one in four Nigerian children is not biologically related to the man regarded as their father.
According to the company, its clients are not a random sample of Nigerian families, as those seeking DNA tests often already have doubts or specific reasons for questioning a child's biological relationship.
The report further revealed that 87 per cent of all DNA tests conducted during the period were classified as “Peace of Mind tests”, representing private and self-initiated tests carried out outside legal, immigration or court-related processes.
This marked an increase from 83.7 per cent recorded in the previous reporting period, suggesting that personal concerns and the desire for certainty remain the major factors driving DNA testing among the company's clients.
Immigration-related tests accounted for 9.7 per cent of cases, while legal tests represented 1.9 per cent. Avuncular tests made up one per cent, while prenatal testing accounted for 0.4 per cent.
The report also showed that older men accounted for a significant proportion of male clients seeking DNA tests. Men aged 41 and above represented 48 per cent of age-classified male records, while those between 31 and 40 accounted for 35.8 per cent.
This means men above the age of 30 made up 83.8 per cent of the male testing population.
Meanwhile, children aged five years and below accounted for 59.5 per cent of all individuals tested, a figure that remained largely unchanged from the previous reporting period.
Smart DNA Nigeria said the concentration of testing among younger children could suggest that some families prefer to resolve questions surrounding biological relationships early, although the data could not determine the specific reasons behind the trend.
Geographically, Lagos accounted for 75.1 per cent of all classified cases, up from 69 per cent in the preceding reporting period.
Lekki recorded the highest number of named locations within Lagos, followed by Ajah, Ikorodu, Yaba and Ikeja. Lagos Mainland accounted for 61.6 per cent of Lagos cases with specific location classifications.
Outside Lagos, Ogun State recorded the highest level of testing activity, followed by Delta, Oyo, Rivers, Enugu, Edo, Abuja, Imo and Kwara.
The company said the increase in testing activity outside Lagos suggested that awareness and demand for DNA testing were gradually spreading to other parts of Nigeria.
The report also revealed that men initiated 78.6 per cent of recorded first contacts with the company, compared with 15.2 per cent initiated by women.
In terms of ethnicity, Yoruba clients accounted for 52.6 per cent of the company's recorded testing population, followed by Igbo clients at 29.1 per cent and Edo clients at 5.8 per cent.
A combined 5.4 per cent came from Delta, Ijaw, Isoko, Urhobo and Itsekiri groups, while Hausa clients accounted for one per cent.
Smart DNA Nigeria stressed that the figures reflected the geographical distribution and client base of the company and should not be interpreted as evidence of differences in paternity behaviour among ethnic groups.
The company maintained that the 23.6 per cent negative paternity result applied only to its testing population and could not be used to estimate the prevalence of non-paternity across Nigeria.
It added that while DNA testing can provide highly accurate answers to biological relationship questions, the results alone cannot explain the social, cultural, economic or relationship circumstances that lead families to seek testing.
The company urged Nigerians to rely on evidence rather than rumours or sensational claims when discussing paternity testing and family relationships.
0 Comments
DISCLAIMER
The views and opinions expressed on this platform as comments were freely made by each person under his or her own volition or responsibility and were neither suggested nor dictated by the owners of News PLATFORM or any of their contracted staff. So we take no liability whatsoever for such comments.
Please take note!