The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has unveiled the list of the highest-performing candidates in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, with a female candidate seeking admission into the University of Lagos to study Medicine and Surgery emerging as the overall best scorer in the country.
According to the list released during the 2026 JAMB policy meeting in Abuja, Owoeye Daniella Jesudunsin from Ekiti State recorded an impressive score of 372 out of 400, making her the top candidate nationwide. The brilliant student, who sat for the examination in Ogun State, selected the University of Lagos as her first choice institution to pursue an MBBS degree.
Her performance has attracted widespread praise across the education sector, especially as she emerged ahead of thousands of candidates who participated in this year’s UTME. JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, presented the rankings while addressing stakeholders at the annual admission policy meeting. ..READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE .
Closely behind the top scorer was Enwere Kingsley Ikenna from Imo State, who scored 370 marks and applied to study Computer Science at Nile University. Bamisile Ayomide Emmanuel from Ondo State followed with 369 marks and chose the Federal University of Technology Akure for Software Engineering.
Several other candidates tied at 368 marks, reflecting the highly competitive nature of the examination this year. Among them were Olabiyisi Olanrewaju Oluwatimileyin from Oyo State, who selected Pan-Atlantic University for Mechatronics Engineering, Victor-Onyeka Daniel Ifeanyi from Imo State seeking admission into the University of Port Harcourt for Electrical and Electronics Engineering, and Osagiobare Daniel Osahenrumwen from Edo State who applied to study Mechanical Engineering at the University of Benin.
Also on the elite list were Ademiluyi Adebowale Anthony from Osun State, who applied for Computer Engineering at Obafemi Awolowo University, and Azuike Kenechukwu Anthony from Anambra State, who chose Afe Babalola University for Software Engineering. Both candidates scored 368 marks.
Candidates who scored 367 included Offorkile Michael Okechukwu from Abia State, Adebisi Eniola Sonari from Ogun State who applied to Covenant University for Computer Science, and Umukoro Gift Orhenevovwero from Delta State who selected the University of Lagos for Electrical and Electronics Engineering.
The release of the top scorers comes amid broader policy discussions on admissions into tertiary institutions across the country. JAMB also retained 150 as the minimum cut-off mark for universities for the 2026 academic session, while colleges of nursing will also accept 150 as their benchmark.
Education stakeholders have described the performance of the top candidates as a reflection of the increasing competitiveness among Nigerian students despite ongoing challenges in the education sector. Many observers have particularly celebrated the emergence of a female candidate as the overall best scorer, viewing it as a strong statement about the growing academic excellence of young Nigerian women in science-related fields.
