•Smart DNA report
A new report from Smart DNA, Nigeria’s leading DNA testing centre, has revealed that one in every four Nigerian men who undergo paternity testing is not the biological father of the child in question, a statistic that continues to send shockwaves through the country’s evolving family landscape.
The company’s 2025 Annual DNA Testing Report, which covers the period from July 2024 to June 2025, offers a sobering reflection on the intersections of trust, family, migration, and modern science in Nigeria, reports The Nation.
Despite a slight decrease from 27% in 2024 to 25% in 2025, the high rate of paternity exclusion remains disturbingly consistent, sustaining what experts are now calling a quiet but growing social crisis.
“These findings are not just about science; they speak volumes about trust, relationships, and the economic and emotional realities of Nigerian families today,” Elizabeth Digia, Operations Manager at Smart DNA Nigeria said.
One of the most jarring revelations in this year’s report is the disproportionate rate of paternity rejection among firstborn sons.
A staggering 64% of firstborn males tested were found to have no biological relation to their presumed fathers, making them the most likely group to return negative results.
This figure dwarfs the rates seen in later-born children, painting a complex psychological and social picture.
Firstborn daughters also showed higher-than-average rejection rates, though not as dramatically as sons. This trend may hint at an unspoken cultural phenomenon where early relationships, pre-marital pregnancies, or strategic partner selection are factors at play.
It also raises pointed questions about how fatherhood is initially claimed and socially accepted, especially in patriarchal societies where male lineage is often tied to legacy, inheritance, and family name continuity.
Beyond family drama, Nigeria’s current mass emigration movement—popularly dubbed the “Japa” wave — has triggered a 13.1% surge in immigration-related DNA testing, according to the report.
This marks a historic increase in testing for visa applications, dual-citizenship verifications, and family reunification abroad.
With growing numbers of Nigerian families preparing for or adjusting to life in the diaspora, many are turning to DNA services to legally validate familial ties —especially when processing foreign documentation for minors.
“DNA testing is now a gateway not just to truth, but to opportunity,” Digia noted.
“We’re seeing parents use this as a safeguard —essentially, a form of biological passport for their children.”
Men remain overwhelmingly at the center of the paternity inquiry ecosystem, accounting for 88.2% of all test initiations.
This near-monopoly on demand reflects a society where women are often excluded from questioning lineage, and men shoulder both the emotional and financial consequences of uncertainty.
Notably, older men (aged 41 and above) were the most frequent clients, initiating 45.5% of all tests, suggesting that financial stability may empower them to finally confront long-held suspicions.
At the same time, the majority of children tested (58.6%) were under the age of five — indicating that in many cases, doubts arise early and parents are acting quickly to establish the truth.
The gender of the child also appears to matter: 53.8% of those tested were male, highlighting an enduring bias toward confirming male lineage. This may be rooted in traditional views that prioritise the male child in matters of succession and family identity.
While Lagos continues to lead in testing volume with 69% of all samples, its internal landscape is shifting. The Mainland-to-Island balance has tilted, with Island locations like Lekki and Ajah seeing increased testing activity — likely reflecting the upward mobility of Lagos residents and the growing influence of the Island’s more affluent communities.
Top testing locations included Lekki (20.3%), Yaba (15.8%), Ajah and Ikorodu (10.5% each), and Surulere and Ikeja (9% each).
Ethnic representation within the data offers another layer of complexity. Yoruba clients made up 53% of all testing cases, followed by Igbo clients at 31.3%. Surprisingly, Hausa participation remains minimal at 1.2%, despite their significant population nationally. This disparity may reflect cultural taboos, religious sensitivities, or lower awareness and acceptance of DNA testing in Northern Nigeria.
The new data also showed that most tests are quiet, personal – and not legally driven. This means that the vast majority of tests —83.7% — were conducted for “peace of mind” rather than legal proceedings. This confirms a hidden but widespread culture of suspicion and silent inquiry into family truths. Court-mandated tests, by contrast, made up only 1.4% of cases. Equally telling is that 80% of tests involved only one child, suggesting most clients are focused on a single case of doubt, rather than conducting a blanket investigation across all children. This speaks to the specificity—and often the secrecy—surrounding these tests.
Despite the scale and implications of these findings, experts are worried that Nigeria still lacks legislation on paternity fraud, unlike countries such as South Africa where legal protections exist for men misled about biological parenthood. The absence of clear legal recourse continues to leave thousands of men without support or restitution after years of emotional and financial investment in children they later discover are not theirs.
The report recommends urgent policy reform, alongside the integration of DNA testing into family health services and public education campaigns to counter myths and normalize open paternity conversations.
The 2025 Smart DNA Nigeria Annual Report does more than quantify paternity doubts — it exposes a society in quiet upheaval, grappling with trust, evolving family dynamics, and the unforgiving truth offered by modern science. At its core, this isn’t just a health or legal issue — it is a national conversation waiting to happen.
“Behind every statistic is a human story — of doubt, betrayal, clarity, or relief. Our mission is not just to deliver answers, but to handle them with the compassion and confidentiality our clients deserve,” Digia concluded.
