1. Who We Are, Scope and Legal Basis
This Privacy Policy explains how DNA Labs Nigeria (“we”, “us”, “our”) collects, uses, stores, and protects personal, medical, and genetic information for patients, website visitors, healthcare providers, and other clients. It applies to all services provided through our laboratory, website, and customer support channels.
DNA LABS NIGERIA
18 Commercial Ave, Sabo Yaba, Lagos 100001, Nigeria
Phone: +234 811 056 7037
Email: info@dnalabsnigeria.com
DNA Labs Nigeria treats genetic and health information as sensitive personal data and aims to comply with applicable Nigerian data protection and health‑sector confidentiality laws, which require strong safeguards, lawful bases, and explicit consent for processing health and genetic data. This Policy is for general information only and is not legal advice.
When you use our services, we rely on one or more lawful bases for processing your data, including your explicit consent, performance of a contract (providing testing services), compliance with legal obligations, protection of vital interests (health and safety), and, in limited cases, public interest in healthcare and public health.
2. Data We Collect, Consent and Retention
We may collect the following categories of information when you contact us, register, or submit samples:
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Identity and contact data: name, date of birth, gender, address, phone, email, next‑of‑kin details, national ID/passport when needed for legal/immigration testing.
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Medical and family history: clinical information, physician details, relevant symptoms, past diagnoses, medications, family history of inherited conditions or cancers (when required for interpretation).
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Genetic and laboratory data: sample type (blood, saliva, buccal swab, tissue), test order details, raw genetic data, quality‑control metrics, and final lab reports (for example NIPT, paternity, exome, panel tests, ancestry and wellness results).
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Administrative and billing information: payment records, invoices, appointment history, referring doctor or hospital, communications with our support team.
Consent is obtained through signed paper or electronic forms and documented digital processes that clearly describe the test requested, data to be processed, and purposes of use. Wherever practicable, we separate:
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consent for testing and reporting;
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consent for data and sample storage beyond required retention;
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optional consent for research, quality‑improvement studies, method development, or de‑identified analytics.
You may use some basic website features without giving full details, but for medical or legal tests we generally require accurate identity information, contact details, and proof of identity where the test is for court, immigration, or chain‑of‑custody purposes, in line with applicable authority requirements.
We retain genetic and health records for the period needed to provide services, meet medical and legal obligations, respond to queries, and maintain quality and audit trails, consistent with Nigerian health, data‑protection, and laboratory‑accreditation expectations. Where no longer needed and not required by law or accreditation rules, personal data and samples are securely deleted or destroyed, or irreversibly de‑identified for statistical or quality‑improvement use.
3. How We Use and Share Your Data
We use your personal, medical, and genetic information to:
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register you or your patient, verify identity where required, schedule tests, and manage billing and support;
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perform DNA and genetic analysis, interpret results, prepare laboratory reports, and provide clinical or genetic counseling support;
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maintain quality‑control, proficiency testing, method validation, and internal audits;
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improve our services, develop new tests, and monitor laboratory performance using aggregated or de‑identified data;
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comply with legal, regulatory, and accreditation requirements.
We may share your data only when necessary and with appropriate safeguards:
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Doctors and hospitals: with your consent or at your request, we send reports and relevant medical information to your referring clinician or healthcare facility to guide diagnosis and treatment.
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Partner or reference labs: when part of your test is performed by a trusted external laboratory (for example specialized assays or cross‑border services), only the minimum necessary identifiers and clinical information are shared under confidentiality and data‑processing agreements.
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Regulators, courts, immigration or law enforcement: we may disclose information if required by Nigerian law, court order, regulatory request, or lawful request from immigration or law‑enforcement authorities, but we limit disclosures to what is legally necessary and document such requests.
We do not sell your personal or genetic data to insurance companies, employers, schools, or marketing data brokers. If we are ever asked to share data with an insurer, employer, or non‑medical organisation, we will only do so with your explicit written consent or where required by law.
Where we use genetic or clinical data for research, analytics, AI model development, or product improvement, we use de‑identified or anonymized data wherever feasible and require separate, specific consent if the use goes beyond privacy‑preserving internal quality‑improvement or regulatory expectations.
To reduce identifiability, personal identifiers (such as your name, contact details, ID numbers) are stored separately from laboratory and genetic profiles and are linked through coded IDs with role‑based access controls. However, under some circumstances, genetic data can theoretically be re‑identified or have implications for biological relatives, which is why we treat it as highly sensitive and restrict its use.
4. Security, Storage, Cross‑Border Transfers and Samples
DNA Labs Nigeria uses a combination of technical, physical, and organisational safeguards to protect your data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. Measures may include encryption in transit and at rest, secure servers and restricted laboratory areas, password‑protected reports, access logs, staff confidentiality agreements, regular training, and periodic security reviews.
Data may be stored on secure servers located in Nigeria and, where necessary for test processing or backup, on reputable cloud or partner‑laboratory infrastructure in other jurisdictions, under contracts that require an adequate level of protection and compliance with Nigerian rules governing cross‑border data transfers. Within DNA Labs Nigeria, only authorised personnel with a “need‑to‑know” role—such as laboratory scientists, genetic counselors, quality managers, and select IT and administrative staff—may access identifiable records, and only under strict internal policies and confidentiality obligations.
If a data breach occurs that is likely to result in a high risk to your rights or freedoms, we will take prompt remedial steps and, where required, notify regulators and affected individuals without undue delay.
Your physical samples (blood, saliva, swabs, tissues) are used primarily to complete the requested tests. After testing:
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samples may be stored for a defined period for quality‑control, result verification, regulatory requirements, or repeat testing;
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with your explicit consent, certain samples may be retained longer for method validation or ethically approved research, typically in a de‑identified form;
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if you request destruction of stored samples and there is no overriding legal or accreditation requirement to retain them, they will be securely destroyed and the destruction documented in our records.
5. Your Rights, Choices and Contact
Subject to Nigerian law, you have the following rights regarding your personal and genetic information:
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Access and copies: You can request access to your personal data, laboratory reports, and, where technically feasible, certain raw genetic data or summary files; identity verification and a written request may be required.
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Correction: You can ask us to correct or update inaccurate or incomplete personal, contact, or administrative details; clinical and laboratory records may be amended via an addendum where legally appropriate.
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Deletion and restriction: You may request deletion of certain personal data, closure of your account, and, where permissible, destruction of stored samples. Some data (for example, core medical records, invoices, chain‑of‑custody documents) may need to be retained for legal, regulatory, or accreditation reasons, in which case access and use will be restricted as much as possible.
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Consent withdrawal: You may withdraw consent for non‑essential uses such as marketing, optional research, or extended storage at any time. Future use will stop, but data already used in completed studies, audits, or anonymised datasets generally cannot be removed retroactively.
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Opt‑out of marketing: You can opt out of promotional emails, SMS, or non‑essential follow‑up at any time using the unsubscribe instructions provided or by contacting us directly; this does not affect essential communications about tests you have ordered.
Genetic results are personal to you but can have implications for relatives. We will not share your identifiable results with family members, employers, schools, or non‑medical third parties without your explicit consent, except where required by law or life‑threatening circumstances recognised under Nigerian health and data‑protection rules. Questions about possible effects on insurance, employment, or family members should be discussed with your doctor, genetic counselor, or legal adviser, as Nigerian law on these topics is still evolving.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, regulation, technology, or our services. When important changes are made, we will revise the “last updated” date and may provide additional notice on our website or via email or SMS where appropriate.
For any questions, requests about your data, or concerns about privacy, please contact:
Data Protection / Privacy Contact – DNA Labs Nigeria
DNA LABS NIGERIA, 18 Commercial Ave, Sabo Yaba, Lagos 100001, Nigeria
Email: info@dnalabsnigeria.com
Phone: +234 811 056 7037