A 16-year-old candidate, Owoeye Jesudunsin, has explained how discipline, consistency and strategic preparation helped her emerge as the highest scorer in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.
The outstanding student scored 372 out of 400 in the examination organised by Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, placing her at the top of the national ranking.
Jesudunsin, who sat for the examination in Ogun State and hails from Ekiti State, applied to study Medicine and Surgery at University of Lagos.
How She Prepared For The Examination
Speaking about her success, the top candidate credited God’s grace, discipline and focused preparation for her impressive performance.
According to her, she adopted a topic-by-topic study strategy and combined classroom learning with intensive past question practice.
She also made use of CBT platforms, online study materials and tutorial sessions to strengthen her understanding of key subjects.
The student explained that she remained consistent throughout her preparation period despite facing moments of stress and discouragement.
Sacrifices Behind The Success
Jesudunsin revealed that she sacrificed comfort, leisure and entertainment to remain focused on her academic goals.
She said achieving a high score required determination, resilience and proper time management.
The student also disclosed that she had already set a target score above 370 before the examination and was excited to meet her goal.
Why She Chose Medicine And Surgery
The high-performing candidate said she decided to study Medicine and Surgery because of her passion for helping people and improving healthcare delivery.
She explained that beyond becoming a medical doctor, she hopes to support vulnerable individuals and contribute to humanitarian causes in the future.
Jesudunsin added that she chose University of Lagos because of its reputation for academic excellence and quality medical training.
Family, Teachers And School Played Major Role
The student also appreciated the role played by her family, school and teachers throughout her academic journey.
According to her, her school helped build a strong academic foundation, while online tutorials made her preparation more organised and structured.
Other Top Scorers In 2026 UTME
Other candidates who performed strongly in the examination include Enwere Ikenna from Imo State, who scored 370 and applied to Nile University of Nigeria to study Computer Science.
Bamisile Emmanuel from Ondo State scored 369 and applied to Federal University of Technology Akure for Software Engineering.
Several other candidates also recorded scores between 367 and 368 marks across different engineering and technology courses.
