Smart DNA Nigeria, the country’s leading
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) testing centre, has released its 2025 Annual DNA Testing Report, uncovering new trends and unsettling realities about family structures and trust in Nigeria.
The report, which analysed test results between July 2024 and June 2025, shows that DNA testing surged to 13.1 per cent in 2025, reflecting both growing awareness and increasing family-related concerns.
DNA, is the genetic material within the body’s cells that defines a person’s identity. A DNA paternity test determines whether a man is the biological father of a child by comparing genetic markers.
According to the report, paternity exclusion rates remain high, with 25 per cent of paternity tests in 2025 returning negative results.
Although this marks a slight decline from 27 per cent recorded in 2024, the statistics still point to a troubling trend, one in four presumed fathers are not the biological parent of the child in question.
The report further revealed that firstborn children are more likely to be affected by paternity disputes than their siblings.
Among them, firstborn sons had the highest rate of discrepancies, with 64 per cent testing negative for biological ties to their presumed fathers.
Firstborn daughters also recorded higher cases of non-paternity compared to later-born children.
The findings show that immigration-related DNA testing surged significantly, making up 13.1 per cent of all tests conducted during the review period. This rise is linked to Nigeria’s ongoing emigration trend, popularly referred to as the “Japa” wave.
The centre explained that many families are now applying for dual citizenship or securing foreign documentation for children’s relocation, often as a form of “second passport” insurance. This trend, according to the report, highlights shifting social arrangements in urban Nigeria and raises important questions about family stability and trust.
Another striking observation from the 2025 data is the sharp gender imbalance in test requests. Men initiated nearly nine out of every 10 paternity tests, while women accounted for only 11.8 per cent.
Experts say this underscores Nigeria’s entrenched gender roles, where men are more likely to demand DNA confirmation, sometimes after years of suspicion and doubt.
Commenting on the report, Smart DNA’s Operations Manager, Elizabeth Digia, called for urgent intervention across legal, healthcare, and educational systems.
She noted that Nigeria currently lacks laws against paternity fraud, unlike South Africa, leaving men with limited legal options after discovering non-paternity despite years of financial and emotional responsibility.
Digia also stressed the importance of public health campaigns to normalize conversations around paternity. She urged that DNA testing be integrated into pre-marital counseling and family health programmes to curb misconceptions.
“Many people still wrongly believe that DNA testing is only for wealthy families or that physical resemblance alone proves paternity. Our role is to provide certainty through accurate testing while encouraging sensitive handling of the life-changing information our clients receive,” Digia said.
Experts reviewing the report added that beyond science, the findings reflect deep issues of trust, relationships, and the economic realities shaping Nigerian families today.