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Summary
Dr. Philips Ekpe clarified that the widely cited 25% paternity fraud rate in Nigeria reflects only cases where there is suspicion and does not represent the general population. He added that Nigerians should not be alarmed by the figure, noting that accurate statistics would require DNA testing for every child in the country.
Dr. Philips Uche Ekpe, an obstetrician & gynaecologist based in Abuja, has debunked recent claims about high rates of paternity fraud in Nigeria during an appearance on the Arise TV Newsnight show.
A Nigerian DNA testing center, Smart DNA, released its 2025 Annual DNA Testing Report, highlighting a surge in immigration-related DNA cases amid the country’s ongoing “Japa” wave.
According to the report, immigration-related DNA testing rose sharply to 13.1% of all cases between July 2024 and June 2025, driven by families seeking documentation for relocation abroad.
The report also stated that Nigeria’s paternity exclusion rate remains at 25%, meaning one in four presumed fathers tested are not the biological parent of the child.
Debunking this figure, Dr. Philips said that the claim of 25% paternity fraud should not be taken seriously, as it does not reflect the general population.
He noted that DNA tests are used to identify and strengthen biological parentage for a child. He emphasised that Nigerians should not take the news at face value because the statistic applies only to cases where there is suspicion.
“For us to have adequate statistics, you need to test every child born in Nigeria, without any suspicion and take a DNA test and match with their father,” he said.
He added that if DNA tests were conducted on millions of people without suspicion, the rate would likely be closer to one in ten thousand.
Dr. Ekpe also discussed the issue of chimerism, where a man may actually be the biological father, but a DNA test might suggest otherwise. He explained that it can happen if the child carries genetic material from a twin in the womb who probably died, making it appear as though the twin is the father.
He added that chimera is more common than generally thought and made it clear that the statistic being quoted does not reflect the general population.
“It is a very minute subset of Nigerians that the statistic applies to, it does not represent everyone,”
