The candidate with the highest score in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, Daniella Owoeye, has attributed her outstanding performance to discipline, consistency, and intensive personal study.
Owoeye, a 16-year-old alumna of EFVP Wisdom Spring Model School, Ota, scored 372 in the examination.
Speaking about her achievement, she described the moment as exciting and unforgettable.
“It feels very exciting. It’s a moment to be proud of, and I’m sure my parents and everyone around me are proud of me. When I saw the result, my joy knew no bounds—I didn’t even know how to express myself,” she said.
The teenager explained that although she hoped to rank among the top candidates nationwide, she did not expect to emerge as the overall best.
“Before I saw my result, I was hopeful of being among the top 10. I prayed, believed in God, and intensified my efforts. I prepared diligently, gave it my best, and trusted God for a great outcome. I’m very grateful for how it turned out,” she stated.
Owoeye said she started preparing for the examination immediately after leaving secondary school. According to her, a poor experience during her first UTME attempt motivated her to work harder.
She revealed that she scored 293 in her earlier attempt after technical issues affected her performance at the examination centre.
The top scorer said she relied on several study materials and digital learning platforms during her preparation.
“I started preparing very early and made use of as many resources as I could. I used materials like JAMB Series Remix, past questions, and other topic-by-topic study guides,” she said.
She added that she also used CBT applications, participated in online tutorials, and joined study groups where questions and quizzes were shared regularly.
“I also watched educational videos on YouTube and downloaded relevant PDFs. I used the JAMB syllabus as a guide to structure my preparation. Alongside all of this, I prayed and committed my efforts to God,” she added.
According to Owoeye, personal study played a more important role in her success than tutorials.
“I would say my personal study contributed more. It’s one thing to attend a good tutorial, and another for a student to put in personal effort,” she said.
The candidate explained that she created a structured timetable and spent several hours reading daily. She noted that time management became one of the major skills she developed during her preparation.
“I usually read in the morning from about 7 am to 11:30 am, or sometimes 12 noon, with short breaks in between. In the afternoon, I continued from around 12:30 pm to about 3:30 pm, also taking breaks,” she said.
She disclosed that she scored 98 in English, 94 in Physics, 98 in Chemistry, and 82 in Biology.
Owoeye also spoke about her ambition to study Medicine and Surgery at the University of Lagos.
“I’ve had a passion for it since I was young. I’ve always wanted to become a medical doctor and contribute to society through healthcare. I’m motivated by the desire to treat the sick, relieve pain, and make a difference in people’s lives,” she said.
On why she selected the University of Lagos, she said, “I chose UNILAG because it is one of the best universities in Nigeria, especially for Medicine and Surgery.”
The UTME top scorer advised students preparing for future examinations to remain disciplined and avoid distractions.
“Consistency and discipline are also very important. They should stay focused, avoid distractions like excessive watching of social media events and games, and be ready to sacrifice short-term pleasures,” she said.
She also encouraged female students to aim for excellence and challenge the dominance of male candidates among top scorers.
“I would also like to advise girls specifically that we should strive to achieve excellence and not allow the history of males dominating the list of top UTME scorers to continue,” she said.
Owoeye described her parents as supportive and credited them for contributing significantly to her success.
She said her mother works as an academic researcher at Covenant University, while her father is an administrator at the same institution.
“They were very supportive throughout my UTME preparation. They prayed for me daily and encouraged me consistently. Sometimes, they would even come into my room to pray with me,” she stated.
According to her, her parents also provided textbooks, study materials, internet data, and paid educational applications that aided her preparation.
She urged parents to support their children emotionally and academically instead of comparing them with others.
“Yes. I would advise parents to believe in their children and avoid comparing them with others. Comparison can damage a child’s self-esteem and create feelings of inferiority,” she said.
Owoeye also disclosed that she avoided relationships and distractions during her school years.
“No. I don’t have a boyfriend, and I’ve never had one,” she said.
Speaking on challenges she faced during preparation, she recalled that her early CBT practice scores were below expectations.
“At the early stage of my preparation, my CBT practice scores were quite low—around 268—which was below my expectations.
“However, I didn’t allow that to discourage me or affect my self-esteem. Instead, I stayed determined and kept working hard,” she added.
