EKITI State Government has celebrated one of its indigenes, Owoeye Daniella Jesudunsin, following her outstanding performance in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), where she emerged as the highest scorer nationwide with 372 marks out of 400.

Her result was announced during the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board’s (JAMB) 2026 Policy Meeting on Admissions in Abuja, on Monday, May 11, placing her among the top performers since the introduction of the computer-based examination in 2013. She is ranked as the second-highest UTME scorer recorded in over a decade.

Jesundunsin, who sat for the examination in Ogun State, is seeking admission into the University of Lagos (UNILAG) to study Medicine and Surgery. Her subject breakdown reportedly includes 98 in English Language, 98 in Chemistry, 94 in Physics, and 82 in Biology.

She is closely followed in the 2026 rankings by Enwere Kingsley Ikenna from Imo State with 370, and Bamisile Ayomide Emmanuel from Ondo State with 369. Several other candidates also scored 368 and 367, reflecting intense competition in this year’s examination.

The ICIR reported that 2,243,816 candidates registered for the 2026 UTME, reflecting a 10.5 per cent increase compared to the number that registered in 2025.

Lagos State recorded the highest number of candidates for the year with 381,814 registrations, followed by Ogun with 137,156, Oyo with 122,662, Kaduna with 103,498, and the Federal Capital Territory with 102,961.

In a statement issued by the Ekiti State Government, on Tuesday, Jesudunsin’s achievement was described as a product of discipline, vision, and determination.

“Greatness is not built overnight. It is the result of discipline, vision, and relentless pursuit of excellence. Owoeye Daniella Jesudunsin, an indigene of Ekiti State, has proven this truth by emerging as the top scorer in JAMB 2026 with an incredible score of 372/400.”

“Her ambition to study medicine at the University of Lagos is more than a personal dream. It is a reflection of the hope we hold for a new generation of leaders who will transform healthcare and society.”

Though the government did not announce a reward for the teenager; it described her performance as a source of pride for the state and an inspiration to students across the country.

According to a PUNCH’s report on Tuesday, the list of JAMB’s top scorers since 2013 is captured in the table below: