A new report by Smart DNA Nigeria has revealed that one in four paternity tests in the country returns a negative result, fueling what many now describe as a paternity crisis.
The 2025 Annual DNA Testing Report shows that 25 percent of tests between July 2024 and June 2025 confirmed presumed fathers were not biologically related to the children.
Most requests came from men, nearly half aged 41 and above. Children under five accounted for the majority of cases, reflecting growing demand for early clarity and avoiding conflicts later in life.
Most strikingly, 64 percent of firstborns—especially boys—were found not to be biologically related to their presumed fathers, a rate far higher than that of later-born siblings.
