Entertainment News: Senegal Terminates Akon’s $6 Billion ‘Akon City’ Dream Project
In a major development making waves in Nigerian Entertainment News and across Africa, the Senegalese government has officially scrapped Akon’s $6 billion proposal to construct a futuristic “smart city” along the country’s Atlantic shoreline
The decision follows consistent delays and unfulfilled financial commitments by the Senegalese-American singer and businessman.
Initially announced in 2020, Akon City was marketed as a cutting-edge, eco-conscious urban hub, inspired by the mythical Wakanda kingdom from Marvel’s Black Panther.
The vision included renewable energy systems powered by solar panels and a digital economy based on Akon’s cryptocurrency, Akoin, with hopes to transform the serene village of Mbodiène into a global hotspot for tourism and technology.
However, half a decade later, there has been little to no tangible progress on the ground. As a result, the authorities have reclaimed the majority of the 136 acres initially designated for the project.
“The project is no longer on the table,” stated Serigne Mamadou Mboup, the head of Sapco-Senegal, the national agency overseeing coastal and tourism development.
As reported by Bloomberg, the Senegalese administration now intends to proceed with a revised, government-driven tourism initiative at the same site. This new version, which is expected to cost around 665 billion CFA francs (roughly $1.2 billion), will be privately funded and managed at a national level.
Akon is expected to retain only 8 hectares from the original land deal, which will be integrated into the new government-led scheme.
The cancellation has left some disheartened, especially those who saw Akon City as a bold symbol of African innovation and unity. Akon had consistently promoted the project as a job creation engine, an empowerment tool for Africans, and a beacon for international tourism. However, critics have long expressed skepticism over its realism and funding model.
For now, Senegal is shifting gears toward a more achievable blueprint—one that might finally unlock development in Mbodiène, although without the dazzling skyline once imagined.
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