Nearly one in four DNA tests at Nigerian lab return negative results
Nearly one in four paternity tests conducted by a leading Nigerian DNA testing company returned negative results in 2025/2026, although the firm has stressed that the figure should not be taken as representative of the wider Nigerian population.
Smart DNA Nigeria, a Lagos-based DNA testing company, reported that 23.6% of the paternity tests it conducted during the latest reporting period found that the tested man was not the biological father. The figure represents a slight decline from 24% the previous year and 26.1% in 2023, according to the company’s annual DNA testing report released in August 2026.
However, Smart DNA cautioned against interpreting the results as meaning that nearly one in four Nigerian children has a different biological father. The company said its clients are not a random sample of Nigerian families, as many people seek paternity tests because they already have doubts about a child’s biological parentage.
About 87% of the tests were private “peace of mind” tests, rather than tests conducted for court cases or immigration purposes. Men accounted for nearly 79% of inquiries, while almost half of the male clients were aged 41 or older. Around three-quarters of all cases came from Lagos, although demand for DNA testing is growing in other parts of Nigeria.
Smart DNA Marketing Manager Chukwudi Eze also urged people to consider the positive results. He pointed out that roughly three out of every four men tested were confirmed as the biological fathers.
Earlier reports from Smart DNA recorded similarly high exclusion rates, generally ranging between 25% and 27%, with higher discrepancies reported among firstborn children, particularly sons.
The latest figures show a gradual decline in negative paternity results while highlighting the growing use of DNA testing in Nigeria as people seek certainty over biological relationships and family ties.
