A 16-year-old candidate from Ekiti State, Owoeye Daniella Jesudunsin, has emerged as the best-performing student in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) after scoring 372 out of a possible 400 marks.
Her outstanding performance was announced by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) during the 2026 Policy Meeting on Admissions to Tertiary Institutions held in Abuja on Monday.
JAMB Registrar, Ishaq Oloyede, unveiled the names of the top candidates, with Daniella leading the list.
The teenager sat for the examination in Ogun State and is seeking admission into the University of Lagos to study Medicine and Surgery.
According to her result breakdown, she scored 98 in English Language, 98 in Chemistry, 94 in Physics and 82 in Biology.
Speaking on her achievement, Daniella disclosed that she had written the UTME previously in 2025 after completing secondary school but was unable to secure admission due to technical issues experienced at her examination centre.
“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.
