The ambitious Akon City project, announced in 2020 by American-Senegalese star Akon, has been officially canceled by Senegalese authorities.
“The Akon City project no longer exists,” declared Serigne Mamadou Mboup, director of the Senegalese tourism development agency, Sapco, to the BBC.
Initially presented as a futuristic city inspired by Wakanda (from the Black Panther film), the planned city was to be built near Dakar on over 500 hectares, featuring luxury hotels, skyscrapers, a tech hub, and even a cryptocurrency called Akoin.
At the time of its launch, Akon City sparked excitement and attracted worldwide media attention. Singer Akon had promoted the project as an opportunity to boost the local economy and foster technological innovation in West Africa. Construction was originally slated to begin in 2021, but was repeatedly delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and financial hurdles.
Despite promises and several symbolic groundbreaking ceremonies, no real construction ever began on the proposed site, which has remained largely untouched. The BBC now reports that Senegalese authorities have officially revoked the land allocated to the project, thus bringing the initiative to an end.
Although the original Akon City project has been scrapped, the government says it is now working with Akon on a more “realistic” development project for the same location.
“Fortunately, an agreement has been reached between Sapco and the entrepreneur Alioune Badara Thiam [aka Akon]. What he is now planning with us is a realistic project that Sapco will fully support,” concluded Serigne Mamadou Mboup, as reported by Music in Africa.
