Brain Trust | Joshua - Geotek Water Project

​A Brain Trust is a 1-hour group brainstorming session where experts from the RIVET ecosystem provide feedback and advice on a challenge or initiative that a social innovator is working on.

​In Joshua Ichor’s village in North Central Nigeria, access to clean water is a daily challenge. Illnesses from contaminated water are common - when Joshua was 10 years old, he contracted typhoid from the drinking water and missed nearly a year of school. Even as a child, he knew it wasn’t normal to lose so much to something as basic as unsafe drinking water.

​This early experience inspired him to pursue studies in hydrology. At 24, Joshua founded the Geotek Water Project, a smart water monitoring system that uses AI-powered sensors to track water quality at the source of distribution. That real-time data is then shared with government agencies, NGOs, and citizens through a mobile app that also allows communities to report issues directly.

​RIVET support enabled Joshua to test and grow this technology, which has already reached more than 6,000 people with access to clean water, including  in high-risk areas - like conflict zones and IDP camps - where other water companies refuse to go. He notes, “With limited resources, we’ve built a model that works even in the hardest-to-reach places.”

​Joshua’s work has earned him the nickname “Aquaman” in his hometown. With attention from the World Bank and other international funders, the Aquaman of Nigeria aims to provide safe, smart access to clean water to 1 million people by 2026.