₦airaland Forum

FAMILIAL relationships in Nigeria are being scrutinised intensely following the 2025 Annual Testing Report by Smart DNA Nigeria, a genetic testing company.

The report revealed that only one in four children tested were confirmed to belong to their assumed biological fathers. These tests were conducted between July 2024 and June 2025.

According to Elizabeth Digia, Operations Manager of Smart DNA, the data reflects a bias toward male children, especially firstborn sons. The report notes that 53 per cent of tests involve male children, with firstborn sons being twice as likely to be tested as firstborn daughters.

This suggests strong cultural pressures around lineage and inheritance. Notably, male firstborns receive a negative paternity result 64 per cent of the time.

The report reveals that 83.7 per cent of these tests are initiated by private citizens rather than court orders.

Men initiate 88.2 per cent of all paternity tests, while women account for only 11.8 per cent. Men aged 31-40 make up 38 per cent of those requesting tests, with the 41-50 age group representing the largest segment at 41 per cent. This likely reflects financial stability and accumulated doubts over time.

Geographically, Lagos State accounts for 69 per cent of the tests, underscoring high awareness in the state. Outside Lagos, testing is concentrated in Delta, Ogun, and Oyo states.

Additionally, the report highlights an 80 per cent increase in immigration-related DNA testing requests compared to the previous year.

Regardless of geography, ethnicity, or gender, the statistic that one in four tests indicates paternity fraud, 25 per cent, is enormous. This trend is a frightening reflection of societal decay and spells trouble for the institution of marriage in Nigeria. The high rate of infidelity exposed by the report points to a pervasive trust deficit nationwide.

The implications of the breakdown of the result are even scarier and weightier. The 88.2 per cent test initiation by men rate portends a huge tendency for marriage breakup.

With the consistent high rate in “japa syndrome,” the 80 per cent increase in immigration-related DNA testing requests in 2025 compared to the previous year is likely to subsequently shoot up astronomically.

The report that older men, especially those from the 31-40 age bracket, constitute 38 per cent, and those of 41-50 per cent make up 41, shows that men of productive age are getting more aware and concerned, thus indicating possible worse subsequent results and more trouble for the family.

Besides, the consistently huge negative report is likely to create more suspicions, which may expand testing across the states.

Although the 2025 result has a 2.0 per cent improvement over its 2024 counterpart, which returned 27 per cent, the trend is still worrisome.

This is a direct consequence of neglecting cultural, ethical, and religious values that uphold good conduct, discipline, patience, respect for law and order, and familial cohesion.

This alarming development has grave consequences for Nigerian society and family relationships. Beyond staining the country’s image as one burdened by infidelity, it signals an increased risk of family disruptions, dislocations, and divorces. Early DNA testing could mitigate some damage for the victims.

Paternity fraud fundamentally calls into question the very essence of marriage. This is particularly dangerous in a country where youths already regard marriage with scepticism, due to financial hardships, unemployment, and mistrust.

At its core, paternity fraud stems from a deep trust deficiency between spouses. It is fuelled by modern societal changes, including financial insecurity driving women to multiple partnerships, premarital sex, adultery, societal decline, social media influence, geographical separation of spouses, and interactions with men in paid employment.

The emotional trauma caused by paternity fraud is destructive and may exacerbate Nigeria’s already-high rates of suicide, murder, and mental health disorders. It demands urgent government action to curb this troubling trend.

Elizabeth Digia summarised the findings by saying, “They tell us something profound about trust, relationships, and the legal and economic realities of Nigerian families today.” The deeper implications are particularly poignant in a society that views itself as deeply religious.

Paternity fraud is not new in Nigeria. It surfaced dramatically at the start of the visa lottery regime when paternity tests became a travel requirement. Many fathers learned the truth about their children at embassies, sometimes resulting in confrontations that forced the US Embassy to increase security presence.

Paternity fraud is an endemic crime affecting the low and the mighty in Nigeria. In 2012, a High Court Judge in Delta State, Anthony Okorodas, called a news conference to announce that DNA tests confirmed that the three children from his former wife were not his.

He Okorodas was saved from the “excruciating mental trauma” by the DNA results on the four children from his new wife, which confirmed that all the children were his.

Systemic decay contributes significantly to paternity fraud in parts of Africa. A Zambian nurse, Bwalya Mwewa, confessed to swapping over 5,000 babies while working at a Teaching Hospital from 1983 to 1995 on her deathbed. Such breaches emphasise the need for strong institutional frameworks to detect and punish infractions.

ResearchGate ranks Jamaica highest in reported paternity fraud cases at 34.6 per cent, followed by Nigeria at 30 per cent, Canada at 2.8 per cent, and the UK at 1.6 per cent.

Lower rates in developed countries reflect greater access to DNA testing, stronger legal oversight, and cultural norms discouraging deception. Nigeria must strive to reach this level of accountability.

The family is the foundation of society, and societal decay starts there. The government should engage key socialisation agents, including families and faith-based organisations, to cleanse and strengthen society.

Paternity fraud partly flourishes in Nigeria due to the absence of criminal laws against it. Hence, the National Assembly must urgently enact legislation to penalise this destructive act.

This menace should not define Nigerian society. A concerted effort by government, civil society, and faith groups is needed to raise awareness and educate the public.

The principles and ethics of marriage have been inverted. Many women marry not for love but for money, power, fame, or under parental, cultural, or religious pressure, often only to find themselves trapped in hollow relationships. Young people must be taught morality, discipline, and respect for the sacred institution of marriage.

Parents should encourage children to marry for love and conviction. It is unthinkable that parents who built marriages from scratch would want their children to skip the essential life lessons marriage entails.

Spouses must honour their vows and uphold the sanctity of marriage, recognising that the law of karma grinds slowly but surely. They should nurture relationships and avoid behaviours that undermine their unions, as acting otherwise risks irreparable destruction of their lives and legacies.

Softmirror:
Men should learn to stop sleeping with their fellow men's wives. It's the only way to stop this

ChiefOloye:
Whatever social vices we are expressing now will be child's play compared to what will happen in 10 years time.
In the years to come, women may not need to have any man laying claim to their children, because promiscuity will be on different scales

Ofunaofu:
https://punchng.com/paternity-fraud-and-societal-decay/

motymop:
i can tell you that most of the dna stories are fake

The stats are fake, all these DNA stuff are just ploy to create a dna market where these dna clinic can exploit you for money.

and yeah that does not mean there are no paternity fraud, there are but it is not high as they say it through their screw up Stats.

in most sense society, if the dna test says positive, you have to do it again in another hospital to verify. if it shows up positive again then you believe.

i have seen kids that looks exactly like their father and the test says negative that means, there was sample contamination or mixed-up specimens.

I can never trust anything that comes out from a Nigerian lab because many doctors in nigeria are careless and non-chalant, only what they are after is MONEY

Softmirror:
Men should learn to stop sleeping with their fellow men's wives. It's the only way to stop this

motymop:
i can tell you that most of the dna stories are fake

Th[font=Lucida Sans Unicode][/font]e stats are fake, all these DNA stuff are just ploy to create a dna market where these dna clinic can exploit you for money.[b]

and yeah that does not mean there are no paternity fraud, there are but it is not high as they say it through their screw up Stats.

in most sense society, if the dna test says positive, you have to do it again in another hospital to verify. if it shows up positive again then you believe.

i have seen kids that looks exactly like their father and the test says negative that means, there was sample contamination or mixed-up specimens.

I can never trust anything that comes out from a Nigerian lab because many doctors in nigeria are careless and non-chalant, only what they are after is MONEY

Chemical1:
Is this what you have to say about this post. Like you still blame men for the worst sin on earth.. Are women kids that don't know what they are doing..
Fine I'm married yet you went ahead and sleep with me, why don't you give the child to me since I'm the one responsible instead of given it to your innocent husband.. Did you really know the trauma in this Dna test palava...

Softmirror:
Men should learn to stop sleeping with their fellow men's wives. It's the only way to stop this

dominique:
Make we hear word abeg. Go and tell your fellow men to stop impregnating their fellow men's wives. Laslas na man dey do man

ajalawole:
[b][/b]you are right. Some clinic try to bring up issue just to make more money. But don't say you haven't seen a case a lady will pin another guy pregnancy on someone else

Softmirror:
Men should learn to stop sleeping with their fellow men's wives. It's the only way to stop this

FashionCookie:
They will blame the women, but will not blame the shameless men who won't mind their home too.
It takes two to Tango.
Most of these men have home and still go out to sleep with and impregnate other women(married or not.
Let the madness from both sides continue...
All of una go reap wetin una sow.