Nearly 24% of Paternity Tests in Nigeria Yield Negative Results
During the 2025/2026 reporting period, Smart DNA Nigeria reported that 23.6% of paternity tests did not identify the tested man as the biological father, a slight decrease from 24% in the previous period and 26.1% in 2023. Elizabeth Digia, Operations Manager at Smart DNA, noted that many clients seek testing due to personal uncertainty regarding biological parentage.
The data revealed that men made up 78.6% of first contacts for testing, with the largest age group being men aged 41 and above, accounting for 48%. Children aged five or younger represented 59.5% of those tested.
The report also indicated that boys constituted 56.1% of negative firstborn outcomes, a decrease from 64.4% previously. Additionally, the reasons for seeking DNA testing shifted, with immigration-related tests dropping from 13.1% to 9.7%, while "Peace of Mind" tests rose from 83.7% to 87%.
Experts advised men with negative results to avoid directing blame at children involved in disputes over parentage.
Plus234Feed summary based on reporting from Nigerian Tribune. Read the original report below.
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