Owoeye Daniella Jesudunsin, an Ogun-based candidate and indigene of Ekiti State, has explained how she emerged as the highest scorer in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board.
Daniella scored 372 out of 400 in the examination, according to the list of top-performing candidates unveiled during the 2026 Policy Meeting on Admissions to Tertiary Institutions held in Abuja on Monday.
The candidate, who sat for the examination in Ogun State, applied to study Medicine and Surgery at University of Lagos.
Her subject scores showed that she recorded 98 in English, 98 in Chemistry, 94 in Physics and 82 in Biology.
Reacting to her achievement in posts shared on X on Tuesday, Daniella said consistency, strategic reading and practising past questions contributed significantly to her success.
“A lot of you have been asking about my study routine, but here’s the truth: I didn’t study 24 hours a day. I didn’t just study hard, I was smart with it, I made past questions my best friend,” she wrote.
She also advised candidates to identify their weak subjects early and work deliberately on improving them.
“I gave every subject the attention it deserved after identifying my strengths and weaknesses. Know your weak points and attack them early,” she added.
In another post celebrating the feat, she wrote, “To God be all the glory! I’m excited to share that I emerged as Nigeria’s 2026 JAMB Highest Scorer with an aggregate score of 372/400.”
On her Facebook page, Daniella described the preparation process as demanding but rewarding.
“This achievement did not come easily. The preparation process was quite demanding and challenging, but by the grace of God, my efforts eventually paid off,” she stated.
The Ekiti State Government also congratulated her in a message shared on X, describing her performance as evidence that excellence can be achieved through focus and determination.
“Brilliance shines brightest when determination meets opportunity. Owoeye Daniella Jesudunsin, an indigene of Ekiti State, has made history by scoring 372 out of 400 in UTME 2026, the highest nationwide,” the statement read.
The government added that her success reflects “the resilience and vision of Nigeria’s youth, proving that excellence is possible when focus and ambition align.”
According to information on her social media profiles, Daniella attended EFVP Wisdom Spring Model School and currently resides in Ogun State while hailing from Ado-Ekiti.