On May 1st 2021, celebrated as Workers’ Day in Nigeria, the Lagos State Chapter of the Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN) honored a select group of educators whose commitment during the COVID-19 pandemic stood out.
Among them was Otega Omoyibo, a science teacher whose digital initiative during Nigeria’s lockdown transformed him from a local classroom educator into an international beacon of learning.
When schools across Nigeria shut their doors in early 2020 due to the pandemic, students were left in limbo. For many, learning came to a standstill. But not for the students of Otega Omoyibo. With no studio, no production crew, and no prior digital training, Otega transformed his modest Lagos bedroom into a digital classroom.
He launched Tegamatics, a YouTube channel focused on Chemistry and Math tutorials. Fueled by necessity and a deep sense of duty, he recorded lessons between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. to avoid street noise and neighborhood disturbances.
During our interview with Otega, he said “There were nights I would sweat through the heat because I had to switch off my fan to ensure good sound. I had to try, I could not let my students down”. His efforts went far beyond personal sacrifice.
With limited tools, an old laptop, a mobile phone, and a basic understanding of PowerPoint, he self-taught video recording and editing through online tutorials. Episodes were often lost to power outages or background noise, but he persisted. Each video took hours of recording, re-recording, compressing, and sharing. And share he did, not through paid promotions, but by manually distributing links across online platforms, alumni networks, and religious forums.
What began as a makeshift solution during crisis evolved into a life-changing platform. Tegamatics has grown into a global learning platform, attracting students from across continents, including Africa, Asia, and Europe, with active audiences in countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, India, the Philippines, the United Kingdom among others. Students worldwide reached out, acknowledging him for demystifying topics such as intercept theorem, lab apparatus, angles on parallel lines and many more. “One student wrote, ‘I have a test tomorrow, the example you gave help me to understand what I will be doing in my test tomorrow.’ That alone made every sleepless night worth it,” Otega said.
We delve further into his channel, beyond just uploading videos, Otega Omoyibo’s real influence is revealed through the active engagement on his Tegamatics YouTube channel. Students don’t simply watch, they interact, ask questions, share feedback, and express gratitude. Many comments show how his lessons directly helped students prepare for exams or overcome academic struggles. Many among his audience solve practice questions and some request for more explanation and more videos. A viewer from the Philippines said “Your country is helping us. You are a greater teacher than the others”
What set Tegamatics apart was accessibility and authenticity. Otega spoke to students in a tone that mirrored his physical classroom. He simulated practicals, walked through equations, and reassured his digital learners that they were not alone.
STAN Lagos recognized this extraordinary commitment on May 1, 2021, during its Workers’ Day honors. The association cited Otega’s “proactiveness during the pandemic and his tireless effort to reach and retain student engagement despite technological, environmental, and economic limitations.” In a year when many schools struggled to adopt e-learning, Otega not only adapted, he innovated, bridging learning gaps for underprivileged students and extending his impact far beyond Nigeria’s borders.
Otega Omoyibo currently serves as the STEM Coordinator, IT Team Lead and Chemistry Teacher at Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School, an all-girls Catholic institution in Yaba, Lagos, dedicated to raising and empowering the girl child through holistic education. His passion for science education and digital innovation has left a lasting imprint on both staff and students. “Otega’s dedication is second to none,” said Sr Martina Mmagu, the school’s Administrator.
You can explore his content at YouTube.com/@tegamatics, where his legacy of digital learning continues to grow.