The director of DNA-Harley and Rainbow Specialised Laboratory, Dr. Ademolu Owoyele, is advocating for mandatory DNA paternity tests to be included in the birth registration process in Nigeria. Owoyele highlighted the increasing demand for paternity tests at his laboratory, revealing that 47% of Nigerian men tested were not the biological fathers of the children they thought were theirs.
He explained that doubts and uncertainties in family relationships drive individuals to seek paternity tests for emotional reasons, child support concerns, or to confirm biological connections. DNA paternity tests involve collecting cheek swabs from the father and child to extract and compare DNA in the laboratory, with results now available within seven working days.
Owoyele mentioned that due to the prevalence of multiple relationships, especially close to marriage, many firstborn children might not pass a DNA paternity test if studied. He dismissed the notion that only women know the father of their children, citing cases where paternity tests had to be conducted on multiple men to determine parentage.
While testing the mother is not mandatory, Owoyele recommended her participation to enhance result accuracy. A DNA paternity test is a scientific method used to establish biological parentage definitively.