How 16-Year-Old Daniella Owoeye Scored 372 to Become Nigeria’s Highest JAMB Scorer in 2026 UTME

A 16-year-old candidate, Owoeye Daniella Jesudunsin, has emerged as the top scorer in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board after recording an impressive aggregate score of 372 out of 400.

Daniella, who sat for the examination in Ogun State, was officially recognised during the 2026 Policy Meeting on Admissions into Tertiary Institutions held in Abuja.

The high-performing candidate is seeking admission to study Medicine and Surgery at University of Lagos.

Her outstanding performance placed her ahead of millions of candidates who participated in the nationwide examination exercise.

According to her score breakdown, Daniella recorded 98 in English Language, 98 in Chemistry, 94 in Physics, and 82 in Biology.

Speaking about her success on social media, the teenage scholar explained that consistency, strategic studying, and intensive practice with past questions played a major role in her achievement.

She revealed that contrary to public assumptions, she did not spend every hour studying but instead focused on studying smartly and identifying effective learning methods.

According to her, past questions became one of her strongest preparation tools throughout the examination period.

Daniella also advised future UTME candidates to identify weak subjects early and work deliberately toward improving them before the examination.

She noted that balancing strengths and weaknesses across all subjects helped her maximise her overall score.

In another celebratory post, the student expressed gratitude to God for the achievement, describing the preparation process as challenging but rewarding in the end.

She stated that the journey demanded discipline, sacrifice, and determination, but her efforts eventually paid off with the historic performance.

The Ekiti State Government also congratulated Daniella for the remarkable feat, describing her achievement as evidence that Nigerian youths can attain excellence through focus, determination, and hard work.

In a message shared online, the state government praised her exceptional performance and described it as a source of pride for Ekiti State and Nigeria at large.

According to available information, Daniella attended EFVP Wisdom Spring Model School and hails from Erinmope-Ekiti in Moba Local Government Area of Ekiti State, although she currently resides in Ogun State.

Her story has continued to attract attention across Nigeria’s education sector, with many students and parents seeking insights into the study habits and preparation strategies that contributed to her success.

Education stakeholders say her performance further highlights the increasing competitiveness of the UTME and the growing importance of strategic preparation, time management, and mastery of past examination questions.

With admission processes for the 2026 academic session already gathering momentum, Daniella’s exceptional score is expected to place her among the leading candidates for highly competitive medical programmes in Nigeria.