Pride in Ekiti as Community Celebrates UTME Top Scorer Daniella Owoeye
Erinmope community in Moba Local Government Area of Ekiti State has celebrated 16-year-old Daniella Owoeye after she emerged as the highest scorer in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Owoeye scored 372 out of 400 in the examination conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), placing her ahead of thousands of candidates nationwide. JAMB announced her as the top candidate during the 2026 policy meeting on admissions to tertiary institutions in Abuja.
She resides in Ogun State but hails from Erinmope Ekiti. She applied to study Medicine and Surgery at the University of Lagos (UNILAG).
Her subject breakdown showed strong performance across all areas. She scored 98 in English Language, 98 in Chemistry, 94 in Physics, and 82 in Biology.
Following her achievement, Owoeye said her success came from consistency, smart preparation, and extensive use of past questions. She also explained that she focused on identifying weak areas early and working on them.
“I didn’t study 24 hours a day,” she said. “I used past questions and studied smart.”
Her result has drawn widespread celebration from her home community. The National President of the Erinmope Development Union, Prince Dayo Olajide, congratulated her and described her achievement as a source of pride for Ekiti State and Nigeria.
He said her performance reflects discipline, hard work, and determination.
“Your success has brought pride not only to your family but also to your community, Erinmope Ekiti, Moba Local Government and Ekiti State,” the union said.
The union added that her achievement will inspire other students to pursue academic excellence and remain focused on their goals.
Olajide urged her to sustain the momentum and continue to uphold the values that led to her success.
Education stakeholders say her performance highlights the academic potential of Nigerian students when they apply discipline and effective study strategies.
Owoeye’s score also placed her ahead of other top candidates in the 2026 UTME results released by JAMB.
