Nigeria paternity tests: Men make 78.6% of first contacts

Key facts

Males accounted for 78.6% of first contacts about paternity testing, according to figures reported by BusinessDay Nigeria.

Smart DNA reported that 23.6% of paternity tests produced negative results.

BusinessDay described demand for paternity testing in Nigeria as growing.

The available evidence does not state the reporting period, number of tests assessed or methodology behind the figures.

Why it matters

The figures indicate that men are the main initiators of contact about paternity testing and that a notable share of tests in Smart DNA's reported results were negative. However, the lack of a disclosed sample size, timeframe and methodology in the available evidence means the percentages cannot safely be treated as representative of all Nigerian families or all paternity tests conducted nationally.

Men are leading initial enquiries for paternity testing in Nigeria, accounting for 78.6% of first contacts, according to figures reported by BusinessDay Nigeria. The publication said demand for the service was growing, although the evidence provided does not quantify that growth.

Smart DNA also reported that 23.6% of paternity tests returned negative results. That is slightly less than one in four of the tests covered by the reported figure, but the available information does not specify how Smart DNA classified results or how many cases were included.

The figures provide a limited picture of who first approaches the testing service and the outcomes recorded. First-contact data do not show who ultimately paid for or participated in each test, while the negative-result percentage applies only to the set of tests behind Smart DNA's report.

Important details needed to assess the wider significance are not yet available in the supplied evidence. These include the period covered, the geographical distribution of clients, the total sample size and whether the data represent all Smart DNA tests or a selected group.

Without those details, the statistics should not be generalised to Nigeria's entire population. They nevertheless show that males formed a clear majority of initial contacts in the reported data and that negative outcomes represented a substantial minority of the tests assessed.