The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Intel have partnered to expand AI training and digital skills in Lesotho and Liberia through a Memorandum of Understanding signed in March 2025. The collaboration aims to combine global technical expertise with local leadership to support broader digital transformation goals in both countries.
Lesotho and Liberia are approaching digital transformation from different starting points. Lesotho aims for universal digital access by 2030, focusing on broad community engagement, while Liberia is emphasizing AI integration in higher education and governance to prepare for a future digital economy. The partnership seeks to close gaps in AI literacy and build capacity so communities can understand how AI may impact daily life.
In Lesotho, UNDP has helped establish 40 Digital Skills Learning Labs and trained 40 Digital Ambassadors, including teachers, religious leaders, and local influencers. Intel’s ‘AI for Citizens’ programme provides locally relevant training materials for low-connectivity environments. Training combines virtual sessions using games and storytelling with analogue activities and puzzles to explain concepts like computer vision.
Liberia’s efforts have focused on higher education and public-sector applications. UNDP assisted the University of Liberia in designing its first Master of AI programme, involving online sessions with global experts and in-person workshops with 20 faculty members. The collaboration also included training nearly 100 government officials on how AI can improve public service delivery and inform policy decisions.
Intel’s Global Head of Digital Readiness Programs, Anshul Sonak, highlighted the significance of bringing AI skills and digital literacy to Liberia, noting the potential for continued collaborations in the region. UNDP emphasized that future phases may expand training to additional communities and countries, adapt content to local languages, and integrate online components as connectivity improves, demonstrating the impact of combining development expertise with private-sector innovation.
