Liberia: Artificial Intelligence in Government - Let the Recent 'Ai in Governance Workshop' Held By the UNDP, Be a Wake-Up Call for Policy Makers

25 November 2025
Liberian Observer (Monrovia)
By Dr. Darren Wilkins

Last week, a significant yet understated event unfolded at the Bella Casa hotel in Sinkor. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) hosted an "AI in Governance" workshop, bringing together policymakers. The very occurrence of this workshop in Monrovia is a testament to a dawning realization: Artificial Intelligence is not a distant specter for the global north alone; it is a present-day tool that Liberia must seize to secure its own destiny.

For too long, nations like ours have been on the receiving end of technological change, often adapting to systems designed elsewhere. AI presents a different, more urgent proposition. It is not merely another piece of software to install; it is a foundational shift, a game-changer with the power to redefine how government serves its people. The question is not if AI will impact Liberia, but whether we will be passive observers or active architects of our future.

The good news is that AI aligns perfectly with the core pillars of President Joseph Boakai's A.R.R.E.S.T. agenda. This is not a futuristic fantasy; it is a practical pathway to achieving our national goals with unprecedented speed and efficiency.

Let's break it down:

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  1. Agriculture: Imagine AI systems analyzing satellite imagery and soil data to provide personalized advice to our farmers, predicting pest outbreaks, optimizing planting schedules, and connecting harvests to the best markets. This is not science fiction; it's a tangible application that can boost productivity and food security.
  2. Roads: AI can revolutionize infrastructure planning. If we can analyze traffic patterns, weather data, and maintenance histories, our government will be able prioritize road repairs where they are most needed, optimize construction schedules, and ensure public funds are spent with maximum impact.
  3. Rule of Law: AI-powered tools can help our judiciary clear case backlogs by automating the analysis of legal documents. They can assist in creating more transparent and efficient systems for land registration, reducing conflicts and fostering trust in public institutions.
  4. Education: Personalized learning platforms, powered by AI, can tailor lessons to the individual needs of our students, helping to bridge educational gaps and provide quality education even in remote areas, effectively creating a personal tutor for every child.
  5. Sanitation & Health: AI can predict disease outbreaks by analyzing trends in health data, allowing for proactive responses. It can optimize waste collection routes in Monrovia, making our city cleaner and our services more cost-effective.
  6. Tourism: We can use AI to showcase Liberia's unique beauty to the world, creating virtual tours and personalized travel recommendations that attract a new generation of tourists.

As I argue in my recent book, "The Global AI Tsunami and its Impact on Developing Countries: The Case of Liberia," the greatest risk for nations like ours is not AI itself, but inaction. The "tsunami" of the title is a double-edged sword: it can overwhelm those who are unprepared, but it carries the immense potential to lift all boats for those who have built the right vessels. The UNDP workshop was a critical first step in building our national vessel.

The path forward requires deliberate action. We must invest in digital infrastructure--the bedrock upon which AI operates. We must develop a national AI strategy that prioritizes ethics, data privacy, and local capacity building. Crucially, we must foster partnerships between government, the private sector, and academic institutions (The Triple Helix Approach) to home-grow tech talent and create solutions tailored to Liberian challenges.

The workshop at the Bella Casa was a spark. It is now our collective responsibility to fan that spark into a flame. We have a national agenda in A.R.R.E.S.T. that provides the perfect framework, and we have the global technology at our fingertips. Let us move beyond talk and unnecessary political optics. Let us embrace AI not as a foreign concept, but as the newest and most powerful tool for building the prosperous, efficient, and equitable Liberia we all deserve. The wave is coming; let us have the courage to ride it.

That's it for today! Until next week,

Carpe diem!!!!

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