Nearly one in four paternity tests conducted at Smart DNA Nigeria during its 2025/2026 reporting period did not identify the tested man as the biological father, according to data released by the laboratory.

The latest figures show that 23.6 per cent of recorded paternity test outcomes were negative, compared with 24 per cent in the preceding reporting period and 26.1 per cent in 2023.

The figures indicate a gradual decline in negative paternity results over the three reporting periods, although the latest rate remains significant.

Smart DNA’s Operations Manager, Elizabeth Digia, said many clients sought testing because they were struggling with uncertainty over biological parentage.

“Most of the men and women who come to us are not coming because anyone told them to. They are coming because they cannot live with the question,” Digia said, stressing that paternity cases should be handled with dignity rather than sensationalism.

The latest report also showed that men accounted for 78.6 per cent of first contacts for paternity testing, compared with 15.2 per cent for women.

Men aged 41 and above constituted the largest age group among classified male records, accounting for 48 per cent, while children aged five or younger represented 59.5 per cent of tested individuals.

ALSO READ: US set for largest mass visa revocation in history, targets up to 200,000 foreigners

The figures suggest that paternity questions are frequently investigated while children are still very young, although the data do not establish when doubts about parentage first arose.

The findings also revealed a notable pattern among firstborn children. Boys accounted for 56.1 per cent of negative firstborn outcomes in the latest reporting period, down from approximately 64.4 per cent in the previous period.

The finding is particularly significant in a society where first sons often occupy an important position in family lineage, inheritance, and succession.

A negative paternity result involving a first son could therefore have implications beyond the relationship between a couple, potentially affecting family identity, inheritance claims, and disputes over belonging.

The report further showed a shift in the reasons Nigerians sought DNA testing.

Immigration-related DNA testing fell from 13.1 per cent to 9.7 per cent, while Peace of Mind tests increased from 83.7 per cent to 87 per cent.

The shift suggests that private investigations into biological parentage now account for most of the laboratory’s recorded cases.

Rather than being driven primarily by immigration or legal proceedings, the data indicate that many people are turning to DNA testing to resolve personal uncertainty about biological relationships.

But a negative result can have consequences far beyond the laboratory.

Experts have urged men who receive negative results to avoid directing anger or blame at children, who have no control over the circumstances surrounding their birth or the decision to conduct a test.

A child who suddenly becomes the focus of a dispute over biological parentage may experience rejection, confusion, and emotional distress, particularly if the result contributes to the breakdown of the parents’ relationship.

The latest Smart DNA figures should not, however, be interpreted as evidence that nearly one in four Nigerian fathers is unknowingly raising another man’s child.

The 23.6 per cent figure represents the proportion of negative results among people who sought testing at the laboratory. It is not a national prevalence rate.

People with no reason to question paternity are less likely to seek DNA testing, meaning the laboratory’s client population cannot be assumed to represent Nigerian families generally.

Smart DNA has cautioned against extrapolating its testing-centre figures to the wider Nigerian population, noting that the distinction is particularly important given the emotional and social sensitivity surrounding paternity.

Despite the decline from 26.1 per cent in 2023 to 24 per cent in 2024/2025 and 23.6 per cent in 2025/2026, the figures show that questions surrounding paternity remain a significant reason Nigerians turn to DNA technology.

The data also point to a broader change in how Nigerians resolve questions of biological identity. As testing becomes more accessible and awareness grows, the trend could become more pronounced.

For Smart DNA, the latest figures represent more than laboratory statistics. They reflect an increasing number of Nigerians turning to scientific evidence when uncertainty about biological fatherhood becomes difficult to live with.

And while the negative-result rate has declined for three consecutive reporting periods, its persistence above 20 per cent ensures that paternity testing will remain an emotionally charged issue for Nigerian families.