Ogun Candidate Tops 2026 UTME With 372 Marks

JOEL OLADELE, Abuja

A candidate who sat for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in Ogun State has emerged as the overall best-performing candidate nationwide after scoring 372 marks in the examination conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

The list of top scorers was unveiled on Monday during the 2026 Policy Meeting on Admissions to Tertiary Institutions held in Abuja.

The highest scorer, Daniella Jesudunsin Owoeye, who hails from Ekiti State but wrote the examination in Ogun State, applied to study MBBS at the University of Lagos.

JAMB disclosed that several candidates also recorded scores above 367, reflecting what stakeholders described as improved performances in this year’s examination despite concerns over the increasing competitiveness of admission into tertiary institutions.

Coming behind the top scorer was Kingsley Ikenna Enwere from Imo State, who sat for the examination in Lagos and scored 370 marks. He applied to study Computer Science at Nile University.

Ayomide Emmanuel Bamisile, an Ondo State indigene who wrote the examination in Ogun State, scored 369 and selected the Federal University of Technology, Akure for Software Engineering.

Three candidates recorded 368 marks. They include Olanrewaju Oluwatimileyin Olabiyisi from Oyo State, who applied to study Mechatronics Engineering at Pan-Atlantic University; Daniel Ifeanyi Victor-Onyeka from Imo State, who chose the University of Port Harcourt for Electrical/Electronics Engineering; and Daniel Osahenrumwen Osagiobare from Edo State, who applied to study Mechanical Engineering at the University of Benin.

Another candidate with the same score, Adebowale Anthony Ademiluyi from Osun State, selected Obafemi Awolowo University for Computer Engineering, while Kenechukwu Anthony Azuike from Anambra State, who sat for the examination in Lagos, applied to study Software Engineering at Afe Babalola University.

Candidates who scored 367 included Michael Okechukwu Offorkile from Abia State, who wrote the examination in Anambra and applied for Computer Science; Eniola Sonari Adebisi from Ogun State, who selected Covenant University for Computer Science; and Gift Orhenevovwero Umukoro from Delta State, who applied to study Electrical/Electronics Engineering at the University of Lagos.

The release of the top-performing candidates came shortly after JAMB and heads of tertiary institutions adopted 150 as the minimum admission benchmark for universities for the 2026 admission exercise.

Stakeholders at the policy meeting noted that although the benchmark serves as the national minimum, institutions are still at liberty to set higher cut-off marks depending on the competitiveness of their programmes.

Education analysts said the strong performance recorded by the leading candidates reflects the growing interest in science, technology, engineering and medical-related courses among Nigerian students.

The UTME remains the major requirement for admission into universities, polytechnics and colleges of education across the country.