Pandemic opens global opportunity for maths teacher taking classes on Twitter, Instagram and WhatsApp

Lagos, Nigeria: For many 12th graders, the closure of Nigeria’s public schools to combat the spread of COVID-19 presents a particular problem: How to prepare for crucial, final exams?

Basirat Olamide Ajayi, a math teacher in Lagos, Nigeria’s biggest city, came up with a solution. She began offering free mathematics classes online via Twitter, WhatsApp and Instagram. And now, after almost six months, more than 1,800 students at various levels are taking her classes—across Nigeria and even internationally.

Students watch her short math videos—no more than 5 minutes long—and respond to her questions. She will send them homework, and occasional assignments. And she grades them.