About one in four paternity tests conducted by Smart DNA Nigeria returned negative results during its 2025/2026 reporting period, according to the company’s latest annual DNA Testing Report.
The report, released in Lagos on August 24, 2026, showed that 23.6 per cent of recorded paternity tests were negative, meaning the tested man was not the biological father. The figure represents a slight decline from 24.0 per cent in the previous reporting period and 26.1 per cent recorded in 2023.
However, Smart DNA cautioned against interpreting the figure to mean that one in four Nigerian children is not biologically related to the man regarded as their father. The company explained that its clients were individuals who had already developed doubts or specific reasons for seeking DNA tests.
According to the report, 87 per cent of the tests conducted were “Peace of Mind” tests, which are private, self-initiated tests carried out outside court, immigration or other legal proceedings. This increased from 83.7 per cent in the previous reporting period, indicating that personal concerns and the desire for certainty remain major reasons Nigerians seek DNA testing.
Immigration-related tests accounted for 9.7 per cent, legal tests 1.9 per cent, avuncular tests one per cent, while prenatal testing made up 0.4 per cent.
The report also found that men aged 41 and above accounted for 48 per cent of age-classified male clients, while those aged 31 to 40 represented 35.8 per cent. Overall, men above 30 made up 83.8 per cent of the male testing population.
Children aged five and below accounted for 59.5 per cent of those tested, suggesting that many families prefer to establish biological relationships when children are still young.
Lagos accounted for 75.1 per cent of classified cases, up from 69 per cent in the previous period. Lekki recorded the highest number of named locations in the state, 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. Smart DNA said testing activity outside Lagos also increased during the period, indicating growing awareness and demand for DNA services across the country.
Men initiated 78.6 per cent of first contacts with the company, compared with 15.2 per cent by women.
Yoruba clients accounted for 52.6 per cent of the recorded ethnic distribution, followed by Igbo at 29.1 per cent, Edo at 5.8 per cent, while the Hausa accounted for one per cent. Smart DNA stressed that the figures reflected its own client and geographical base and should not be interpreted as differences in paternity behaviour among ethnic groups.
The company emphasised that the 23.6 per cent negative result applies only to its testing population and cannot be used to estimate the prevalence of non-paternity across Nigeria, because its clients were not randomly selected from the general population.
Smart DNA added that while DNA testing can provide highly accurate answers about biological relationships, it cannot independently explain the social, cultural, economic or relationship circumstances that lead families to seek such tests.
The company urged Nigerians to rely on evidence rather than rumours or sensational claims when discussing paternity testing and family relationships.
