About 23.6 per cent of paternity tests conducted by Smart DNA Nigeria returned negative results during the company’s 2025/2026 reporting period, its latest annual DNA Testing Report has shown.

Smart DNA disclosed this in a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday, August 24, 2026, saying the figure means the tested man was not the biological father in nearly one out of every four paternity cases recorded by the company.

The negative outcome rate, however, declined slightly from 24 per cent in the previous reporting period and 26.1 per cent in 2023.

Smart DNA cautioned against interpreting the figure as evidence that one in four Nigerian children is not biologically related to the man regarded as their father.

The company said its clients were not a random sample of Nigerian families but people who had already developed doubts or had reasons to seek DNA testing.

According to the report, 87 per cent of tests conducted during the period were classified as “Peace of Mind tests”. These were private, self-initiated tests carried out outside legal, immigration or court proceedings.

The proportion rose from 83.7 per cent in the preceding reporting period, suggesting that personal concerns and the need for certainty were major reasons people sought DNA testing.

Immigration-related tests accounted for 9.7 per cent of cases, while legal tests represented 1.9 per cent. Avuncular tests accounted for one per cent and prenatal testing 0.4 per cent.

Older men make up most male clients

The report showed that men aged 41 and above accounted for 48 per cent of age-classified male clients seeking DNA tests.

Men aged 31 to 40 represented another 35.8 per cent, putting the proportion of male clients aged above 30 at 83.8 per cent.

Children aged five and below accounted for 59.5 per cent of those tested. Smart DNA said the figure was almost unchanged from the previous reporting period.

The company said the high proportion of younger children could indicate that some families prefer to resolve questions about biological relationships early, although the data did not establish why the trend exists.

Lagos dominates testing activity

Lagos accounted for 75.1 per cent of classified cases, up from 69 per cent in the previous reporting period.

Within Lagos, Lekki recorded the highest number of named locations, followed by Ajah, Ikorodu, Yaba and Ikeja.

Lagos Mainland accounted for 61.6 per cent of cases with specific location classifications in the state.

Outside Lagos, Ogun recorded the highest testing activity, followed by Delta, Oyo, Rivers, Enugu, Edo, Abuja, Imo and Kwara.

Smart DNA said activity outside Lagos increased during the reporting period, indicating growing awareness and demand for DNA testing in other parts of Nigeria.

Men initiate most enquiries

Men initiated 78.6 per cent of first contacts recorded by the company, compared with 15.2 per cent initiated by women.

The report's ethnic distribution showed Yoruba clients accounting for 52.6 per cent, followed by Igbo at 29.1 per cent and Edo at 5.8 per cent.

Delta, Ijaw, Isoko, Urhobo and Itsekiri groups collectively accounted for 5.4 per cent, while Hausa clients represented one per cent.

Smart DNA said the figures reflected its own geographical reach and client base and should not be interpreted as differences in paternity behaviour among ethnic groups.

The company also stressed that the 23.6 per cent negative paternity result applied only to its testing population and could not be used to estimate the prevalence of non-paternity in Nigeria.

It said DNA testing could provide highly accurate answers about biological relationships but could not, on its own, explain the social, cultural, economic or relationship circumstances that led families to seek testing.

Smart DNA urged the public to rely on evidence rather than rumours or sensational claims when discussing paternity testing and family relationships in Nigeria.