Growing up on the streets of Uyo, I remember how elders constantly warned us to stay away from women. In church, the message was the same sexual immorality was portrayed as the greatest sin. Nigeria has always been a deeply religious and tribalistic country, where traditional values, especially around sex and family, were held sacred.
But today, I’m surprised at how drastically things have changed. We’ve gone from a society that upheld strict moral codes to one where married men now feel compelled to confirm the paternity of their children. In recent years, heartbreaking stories have surfaced about fathers who, after raising children for years, discover through DNA tests that they are not biologically related to them.
One of the most shocking cases was when a prominent banker, the chairman of Access Bank, found out that three of his children were not his own. I can only imagine the pain of realizing you’ve been caring for another man’s children without knowing it. After that incident, DNA testing became a trend. Some men discovered that out of four children, only two were biologically theirs.
This surge in DNA testing has caused serious tension in marriages. Women often argue that requesting a test means the man doesn’t trust them. But in my opinion, trust should take a back seat when it comes to the well-being of the children. If a DNA test confirms I’m the father, it will strengthen my trust in my partner. But if she refuses the test, it raises questions what is she hiding?
According to the 2025 Annual DNA Testing Report by Smart DNA Nigeria, 25 percent of paternity tests come back negative. That means one in four presumed fathers is not biologically related to the child. Even more alarming, 88.2 percent of test requests are made by men over 40, and 58.6 percent of the children tested are under five years old. Firstborn boys show a 64 percent exclusion rate, making them the most likely to be unrelated to their presumed fathers.
Most of these cases occur in southern Nigeria, among the Yoruba, Igbo, and other tribes. In the north, such cases are rare, possibly due to cultural and religious differences. Sometimes I wonder should we start marrying from the northern part of the country to avoid this?
It may sound funny, but I always advise men: no matter how much you trust your wife, do a DNA test. Just be prepared for whatever truth it reveals.
