Three out of every four Nigerian men who underwent paternity testing were confirmed as the biological fathers of the children tested, according to Smart DNA Nigeria’s 2025/2026 Annual DNA Testing Report.
The report, released on Sunday, showed that 23.6 per cent of recorded paternity tests returned negative results, meaning the tested man was not the biological father. The figure was slightly lower than 24 per cent recorded in the previous reporting period and 26.1 per cent in 2023.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, Smart DNA cautioned against interpreting the findings to mean that one in four Nigerian children is not biologically related to the man regarded as their father, stressing that its clients were not a random sample of the Nigerian population but people who already had doubts or reasons to seek testing.
Smart DNA Marketing Manager, Chukwudi Eze, said greater attention should be given to the three out of four men whose paternity was confirmed rather than focusing solely on negative results.
The report further revealed that 87 per cent of tests were private “Peace of Mind” tests, while immigration related tests accounted for 9.7 per cent, legal tests 1.9 per cent and prenatal testing 0.4 per cent.
Men aged 41 and above accounted for 48 per cent of male clients, while those aged 31 to 40 represented 35.8 per cent. Children aged five and below made up 59.5 per cent of tested individuals.
Lagos accounted for 75.1 per cent of classified cases, although Smart DNA said testing activity was gradually increasing in other states, with Ogun recording the highest activity outside Lagos.
The company urged Nigerians to avoid sensationalising DNA results, stressing that the findings should not be used to make broad claims about paternity, marriage or family relationships across the country.
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