Smart DNA Nigeria's latest annual DNA Testing Report reveals that 23.6% of paternity tests conducted during its 2025/2026 reporting period returned negative results, meaning the tested man was not the biological father. The company announced the findings in a statement released on Sunday, August 24, 2026, in Lagos, emphasizing that the figure represents its client base, not the general Nigerian population.
Negative paternity results show slight decline
The report indicates that the negative paternity outcome declined marginally from 24.0% in the preceding year and 26.1% in 2023. However, Smart DNA cautioned against interpreting the figure as evidence that one in four Nigerian children is not biologically related to the man regarded as the father. The company stressed that its clients were people who had already developed sufficient doubts or reasons to seek DNA testing.
The report also revealed that 87% of DNA tests conducted were 'Peace of Mind tests', representing private, self-initiated tests undertaken outside legal, immigration, or court proceedings. This proportion increased from 83.7% in the preceding reporting period, indicating that personal concerns and the desire for certainty largely drove DNA testing in Nigeria.
Breakdown of test types and client demographics
Immigration-related tests accounted for 9.7% of cases, legal tests 1.9%, avuncular tests 1%, and prenatal testing 0.4%. The report further showed that older men accounted for the majority of male clients, with men aged 41 years and above representing 48% of age-classified male records. Men aged between 31 and 40 accounted for another 35.8%, meaning men above 30 constituted 83.8% of the male testing population.
On the other hand, 59.5% of tested individuals were children aged five years and below, a figure that remained virtually unchanged from the previous reporting period. The company said the concentration of testing among younger children suggested that many families preferred to resolve questions surrounding biological relationships early, although the data could not establish the reasons behind the trend.
Geographic and ethnic distribution of DNA testing
Geographically, Lagos accounted for 75.1% of all classified cases, rising from 69% in the preceding period. Lekki recorded the highest number of named locations in Lagos, followed by Ajah, Ikorodu, Yaba, and Ikeja, while Lagos Mainland accounted for 61.6% of Lagos cases with specific location classifications. Outside Lagos, Ogun recorded the highest testing activity, followed by Delta, Oyo, Rivers, Enugu, Edo, Abuja, Imo, and Kwara.
The report said testing activity outside Lagos increased during the period, suggesting that awareness and demand for DNA testing were gradually spreading across other parts of the country. It further revealed that men initiated 78.6% of recorded first contacts with the company, compared with 15.2% by women.
The ethnic distribution of clients was led by Yoruba at 52.6%, followed by Igbo at 29.1%, Edo at 5.8%, and a combined 5.4% for Delta, Ijaw, Isoko, Urhobo, and Itsekiri groups. The Hausa accounted for 1%. Smart DNA said the figures reflected its geographical and client base rather than differences in paternity behaviour among ethnic groups.
Company warns against generalizing findings
The company also warned that its findings should not be generalised to the entire Nigerian population, stressing that its clients were not a random sample of Nigerian families. It said the 23.6% negative result represented its testing population, a group in which doubts about biological relationships already existed, and therefore could not be used to estimate the prevalence of non-paternity across Nigeria.
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.
