How much will a DNA test cost you in Nigeria?

In our day and age, it is sometimes hard to determine who the father is when a woman has multiple partners. Fortunately, there is a very convenient tool for finding out who’s the daddy — DNA testing. But can everyone afford it? Find out here about the cost of DNA test in Nigeria and whether your wallet can handle it.

What is DNA test?

DNA test usually means a paternity test used to determine whether someone is the father (or sometimes even mother) of the child through DNA profiling. DNA test, if performed correctly and in accordance with regulations, can be a solid proof of paternity that could be used in court. DNA testing can also be used to determine other biological relationships, but paternity tests are the most common.

As of now, DNA test is the most reliable and advanced method of determining parenthood. It is almost 100% accurate. When the results comes in, it is usually in the percentage form and not in a straightforward ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ answer. If you get over 99%, it means that you are definitely the father.

Fun fact:

DNA test might not work if one of the people that take part in it is a chimera. This means that the person has two sets of DNA as opposed to one, which most people have. It is a rare condition, but it might happen.

DNA test are performed by swabbing the insides of the cheeks of both the child and the alleged father. It can be done either by a medical professional (in a clinic/lab or at home) or by literally anyone. The swabs with the cells containing DNA are then sent to a laboratory for processing. After that, the result will come in as soon as the data is processed.

The thing to remember is that if the swabbing is not done by a professional (or in the presence of one), the results cannot be used as evidence in court. Therefore, if it is important to you, take your alleged child to a clinic/lab or invite a professional to your home.

So how much is a DNA test in Nigeria? Let’s find out.

Price of DNA test in Nigeria

Now, the question ‘How much is DNA test in Nigeria?’ is a rather complicated one. For some reason, barely any clinics, laboratories or hospitals provide the prices on their websites.

Why?

It is most likely because DNA testing is a very expensive thing, and labs do not want to put people off right away. In many countries, the prices range from $69 to $499, depending on the clinic, reliability of the test and waiting time. In Nigeria, however, only one lab openly shares the price of the DNA test procedure.

The lab in question is Paternity Test Nigeria. According to their website, you can take a DNA test for a measly price of… ₦100,000. 'Cheap', isn’t it?

But wait, that is not all:

₦100,000 only covers the in-lab testing of one parent and one child. If you want to test your relation to any other children, you will have to dish out additional ₦50,000 for each child. If you want a home visit (granted, if you live in Lagos), the base price is ₦110,000 with additional ₦50,000 for each additional child.

There is a chance that other establishments conduct the DNA test for less. Continue reading for the list of clinics and laboratories that offer DNA tests. There, you can find out how to contact Paternity Test Nigeria or any other facility and learn the details about their DNA testing.

Where to take a DNA test in Nigeria?

As we have mentioned before, one of the places you can go to take a DNA test is Paternity Test Nigeria, but there are other labs and clinics that offer the same procedure. Here is a list of seven centres in Nigeria that offer DNA tests:

Paternity Test Nigeria. You can contact them via their website (paternitytestnigeria.com), phone (08073008967, 09098165525, 08021468075), e-mail (sales@paternitytestnigeria.com) or visit their head office (79 Bamgbose Street, Lagos). They have centres all over the country. Click here to see the full list.
DNA Labs. You can contact them via their website (dnalabs.com.ng), phone (08099282985, 07087257965, 08037880765), e-mail (research@dnalabs.com.ng, info@dnalabs.com.ng) or visit their head office (Q5 Danja Road, Unguwar Sarki, Kaduna).

DNA Nigeria. You can contact them via their website (dnanigeria.com), phone (07059999333, 07059999444), e-mail (doctors@dnanigeria.com) or visit their head office (73 Allen Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos).
Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH). You can find the hospital at Akodu St, Idi Araba, Lagos, Nigeria or contact it via phone (08125753107), e-mail (info@luthnigeria.org) or website (luthnigeria.org).
Pathcare Laboratories. You can contact them via their website (pathcarenigeria.com), phone (0700PATHCARE), e-mail (enquiries@pathcarenigeria.com) or visit their head office (9A/B Egbeyemi Street, Ilupeju, Lagos). They have centres all over the country. Click here to see the full list.

Bode DU Laboratory Technology Limited. You can contact them via phone (0803 946 1596, 0803 546 6923, 01 270 4789) or visit them at Plot 45 Oyibo Adjarho Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos, Nigeria.
Me Cure Healthcare Limited. You can contact them via website (mecure.com.ng), phone (070-00MECURE), or visit them at one of their locations. For the full list of locations, click here.

Once you choose the clinic, you can contact it and find out how much DNA test cost in that particular establishment.

That is all we can tell you about the paternity test in Nigeria. As you can see, finding out whether you are the daddy is not cheap. Nevertheless, the DNA test price is more or less justifiable when you think about the knowledge DNA testing might give you. It can actually save you more money than you would have spent if it turns out that you are not the father. So consider the cost and make a decision for yourself.