Every groundbreaking invention starts with a question. For Nigerian deep tech entrepreneur and physicist Derick Nwasor, that question wasn’t born inside a laboratory or research centre. It came while he lay fighting for his life in a hospital where electricity failed when he needed it most.
Today, that frightening experience has become “Just Add Water”, a clean energy innovation designed to provide uninterrupted electricity and medical-grade oxygen for hospitals using solar power and ordinary water. It is a solution that has earned global recognition and is giving hope to healthcare facilities facing one of Nigeria’s biggest infrastructure challenges.
Behind the technology is a simple but powerful story. Sometimes, the people who understand a problem best are the ones who have lived through it.
A Near-Death Experience That Changed Everything
Derick Nwasor’s journey began far from the world of healthcare innovation. As a Physics student at the University of Benin, he was fascinated by renewable energy, advanced engineering and the future of scientific discovery. His early research explored hydrogen-powered systems and sustainable technologies, driven by a desire to solve complex global challenges.
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Then life interrupted his plans.
After being admitted to a Nigerian hospital during a serious illness, Nwasor experienced firsthand what thousands of patients face every day. Frequent power outages disrupted treatment, while inconsistent oxygen supply threatened lives already hanging in the balance. He survived, but many others have not been as fortunate.
Rather than moving on, he kept asking himself one question: “Why should anyone lose their life simply because a hospital cannot guarantee electricity and oxygen?”
That question eventually became the foundation of Newdigit Technologies, the clean-tech company he co-founded to develop practical solutions for Africa’s healthcare sector.
Turning Water Into Electricity and Oxygen
The result of that mission is “Just Add Water”, a regenerative hydrogen fuel cell system that transforms greywater into continuous electricity, medical-grade oxygen and clean water using solar energy.
While the science behind it is sophisticated, the goal is remarkably simple. Hospitals should be able to keep life-saving equipment running without depending on diesel generators or waiting for oxygen deliveries from distant suppliers.
Instead of selling expensive equipment outright, Newdigit introduced an “energy and oxygen as a service” model. Hospitals receive the technology without massive upfront costs and pay only for what they use, making adoption more realistic for facilities operating under tight budgets.
Newdigit has already deployed the innovation in hospitals across Lagos, supporting thousands of patients while reducing dependence on diesel-powered generators and lowering carbon emissions.
It is a reminder that technology becomes truly meaningful when it solves everyday problems.
Proving African Innovation Can Solve African Challenges
Nwasor’s work has attracted attention well beyond Nigeria. He was shortlisted for the 2026 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation by the Royal Academy of Engineering and recognised through the Milken-Motsepe Green Energy Prize. His research collaborations have also taken him from Nigeria to the KAUST Catalysis Centre in Saudi Arabia.
Yet global recognition has never been the destination. His ambition is to expand the technology to 1,000 hospitals across Nigeria by 2030, making reliable electricity and oxygen more accessible for millions of patients.
Beyond Newdigit, Derick Nwasor continues to champion deep technology through Yspace, where he explores future-focused innovations in semiconductors and space technologies. His work reflects a growing generation of African innovators proving that world-class research and engineering can emerge from the continent while addressing local realities.
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Innovation Begins With Empathy
Many inventors solve problems they observe. Derick Nwasor chose to solve one he personally endured.
His story reminds us that innovation is about more than patents, awards or cutting-edge technology. At its best, innovation begins with empathy, grows through determination and succeeds because someone refuses to accept that an existing problem should remain unsolved.
As Africa continues to build its innovation ecosystem, stories like Nwasor’s show why investing in scientists, engineers and deep-tech entrepreneurs matters. Their ideas have the potential to improve lives, strengthen healthcare systems and create solutions that the rest of the world can learn from.
Which African innovator do you think is solving one of the continent’s biggest challenges through technology? Share your thoughts in the comments, explore more Spotlight stories on RefinedNG, and follow us for inspiring stories about the people shaping Africa’s future.