Female candidate seeking admission into Medicine at UNILAG leads national ranking as JAMB releases highest scorers for 2026 examination.
By Baron Eloagu – ABUJA — May 11, 2026
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has unveiled the highest-performing candidates in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), with Owoeye Daniella Jesudunsin emerging as the overall best candidate nationwide after scoring 372 out of the maximum 400 points.
The announcement was made on Monday during JAMB’s 2026 Policy Meeting on Admissions held in Abuja.
Jesudunsin Tops National Ranking
Jesudunsin, a female candidate who sat for the examination in Ogun State and hails from Ekiti State, recorded the highest score in the country.
According to JAMB, she selected Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) at University of Lagos as her first-choice course of study.
Her outstanding performance places her at the top of the national merit ranking for the 2026 UTME.
Other Top-Scoring Candidates
Closely behind the top scorer is Enwere Kingsley Ikenna from Imo State, who scored 370 points.
Ikenna applied to Nile University of Nigeria to study Computer Science.
In third place is Bamisile Ayomide Emmanuel from Ondo State, who scored 369 points.
He applied to Federal University of Technology Akure to study Software Engineering.
JAMB Highlights Academic Excellence
The release of the top-performing candidates formed part of deliberations at the 2026 Policy Meeting, where JAMB and stakeholders reviewed admission policies and benchmarks for the upcoming academic session.
The annual announcement of top scorers is widely regarded as recognition of exceptional academic performance among candidates seeking admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions.
Education stakeholders have continued to emphasize the importance of merit, discipline, and academic preparation in improving standards within the country’s education system.
Growing Competition for Admission
The performance of the top candidates reflects the increasing competitiveness of admission into highly sought-after courses such as Medicine, Computer Science, and Software Engineering.
Institutions like UNILAG, FUTA, and Nile University remain among the most preferred destinations for candidates seeking professional and technology-driven programmes.
Analysts say the rising number of high-scoring candidates also underscores the growing interest in science, technology, engineering, and medical-related fields among Nigerian students.
As the admission process for the 2026/2027 academic session begins, the outstanding achievements of the top UTME candidates are expected to inspire thousands of students across the country.
JAMB’s release of the national ranking also provides insight into the evolving academic competition shaping Nigeria’s tertiary education landscape.
UTME candidates with highest scores from 2013–2026
Here is the complete official record of UTME top scorers since 2013, as published by JAMB.
2026
Owoeye Daniella Jesudunsin
State: Ekiti
372 / 400
The latest name to top Nigeria’s most competitive exam, Owoeye Daniella Jesudunsin scored 372 in the 2026 UTME, choosing the University of Lagos to study Medicine and Surgery. She was closely followed by Enwere Kingsley Ikenna (370) and Bamisile Ayomide Emmanuel (369), with several other candidates recording 368 and 367.
2025
All-time record
Okeke Chinedu Christian
State: Anambra
374 / 400
JAMB’s official press conference document, delivered by Registrar Prof. Ishaq Oloyede on May 14, 2025, listed the best score of the 2025 UTME as 374 — the highest recorded since the computer-based test began in 2013. The Registrar described it as “the best highest in the last one and half decades.”
2024
Olowu Joseph Oluwasijibomi (Ondo), Alayande David (Oyo) & Orukpe Joel Ehijele (Edo)
367 / 400 each
Three candidates shared top honours in the 2024 UTME with identical scores of 367, making it a rare triple tie. Their registration numbers — 202440343695GA, 202440097040EF, and 202440089418GA — are confirmed in JAMB’s official records. It was a year when only 0.46 per cent of the 1.8 million candidates who sat the examination scored 300 and above.
2023
Umeh Kamsiyochukwu Nkechinyere
State: Anambra
360 / 400
A student of Deeper Life High School in Mowe, Ogun State, Umeh Kamsiyochukwu Nkechinyere (Reg: 202330325356GA) scored 360 to emerge the highest UTME candidate in 2023. Her achievement attracted national celebration, and Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo offered her a full scholarship.
2022
Adebayo Eyimofe Oluwatofunmi
State: Ekiti
362 / 400
Adebayo Eyimofe Oluwatofunmi (Reg: 202211075576JA) topped the 2022 UTME with a score of 362.
2021
Monwuba Chibuzo Chibuikem
State: Not disclosed
358 / 400
Monwuba Chibuzo Chibuikem (Reg: 10054281ID) scored 358 to lead all candidates in the 2021 UTME. He later went on to study electrical, electronics and communications engineering at the University of South Florida in the United States.
2020
Maduafokwa Egoagwuagwu Agnes
State: Anambra
365 / 400
Agnes (Reg: 21398306DF), a graduate of Louisville Girls High School in Ijebu-Itele, Ogun State, scored 365 — a score that stood as the highest in the CBT era until 2025. She went on to study Mechanical Engineering at Duke University in the United States under the institution’s Karsh International Scholarship.
2019
Ezeunala Ekene Franklin
State: Not disclosed
347 / 400
Ezeunala Ekene Franklin (Reg: 96630270JC) scored 347 in the 2019 UTME at just 15 years old — making him one of the youngest top scorers in the examination’s history. He was a graduate of Meiran Community Senior High School, Lagos.
2018
Galadima Israel Zakari
State: Borno
364 / 400
Galadima Israel Zakari (Reg: 86034528DA) posted one of the highest scores of his era with 364 in the 2018 UTME. His result, confirmed in JAMB’s official records, ranks among the strongest performances in the examination’s CBT history.
2017
Akingbulugbe Precious Ayomide
State: Not disclosed
353 / 400
Akingbulugbe Precious Ayomide (Reg: 75902784CB) emerged as the highest UTME scorer in 2017 with 353. Like the 2018 result, this performance was not widely publicised at the time but is confirmed in JAMB’s official historical records presented at the May 2025 press conference.
2016
Akenbor Adesuwa Osarugue (Edo) & Anonye Victory Emenike (State not disclosed)
359 / 400 each
Two candidates tied for the top position in 2016 with identical scores of 359. Akenbor Adesuwa Osarugue (Reg: 65290500BI) and Anonye Victory Emenike (Reg: 65740193BF) shared the glory. Adesuwa went on to study Medicine at UNIBEN, while Anonye pursued Medicine and Surgery at the University of Jos.
2015
Ilukwe Lottachukwu Geraldine
State: Not disclosed
332 / 400
A student of Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja, Ilukwe Lottachukwu Geraldine (Reg: 55395199EB) topped the 2015 UTME with 332. She went on to study law at the London School of Economics and Political Science and is now a practising lawyer and consultant in the United Kingdom.
2014
Onomejoh Princewill
State: Not disclosed
299 / 400
Onomejoh Princewill (Reg: 47049891HB) scored 299 to lead all candidates in the 2014 UTME. He went on to study at the University of Benin, graduating with a first-class degree and emerging as the best student in his faculty.
2013
Olise Israel Chukwunalu
State: Not disclosed
299 / 400
The pioneer of the CBT era’s top scorers, Olise Israel Chukwunalu (Reg: 37207292AB) scored 299 in the inaugural computer-based UTME in 2013. He gained admission to the University of Ibadan to study Medicine and Surgery and has since qualified as a medical doctor.
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