Ekiti Girl becomes highest scorer in 2026 UTME

Owoeye Daniella Jesudunsin, a native of Ekiti State, has emerged as the top scorer in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) after recording an impressive 372 out of 400

The announcement was made during the 2026 Policy Meeting on Admissions to Tertiary Institutions held in Abuja on Monday, where the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) unveiled the list of the best-performing candidates.

JAMB Registrar, Ishaq Oloyede, revealed Daniella as the highest scorer in this year’s examination.

The 16-year-old, who wrote the exam in Ogun State, is seeking admission into the University of Lagos to study Medicine and Surgery.

Her subject breakdown showed outstanding performances across the board, with 98 in English Language, 98 in Chemistry, 94 in Physics and 82 in Biology.

Speaking on her achievement, Daniella explained that this was not her first attempt at the UTME, as she had also written the examination in 2025 after graduating from secondary school.

“This isn’t my first UTME. I graduated from secondary school last year, so I sat for the UTME last year. I couldn’t gain admission due to the glitches I experienced in my exam centre, which affected my result. Although I didn’t request a resit.

“Since 2026 UTME isn’t my first attempt, I would say my preparation for 2026 UTME started when I was preparing for my 2025 UTME, and I also want to appreciate EFVP Wisdom Spring Model School for their input in my success story.

“I was aiming for nothing less than 350, so I fixed my goal at 370+. I chose UNILAG because it is one of the best universities that offers my desired course, and I chose Medicine and Surgery because of my unwavering interest and passion to provide medical support for the sick, relieve pain and help people live a healthy life,” she said.

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