Senegal’s dream of building a futuristic city led by singer Akon has come to an end. The government has officially canceled the multibillion-dollar Akon City project, which aimed to create a cutting-edge, solar-powered city running on Akon’s own cryptocurrency, Akoin. Instead, officials are now moving forward with a smaller tourism resort that will be managed by Senegal’s tourism development agency, Sapco.
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The ambitious plan was first announced five years ago when Akon, who has roots in both Senegal and the U.S., signed an agreement to develop the $6 billion city on an 800-hectare site near Mbodiène, a village south of Dakar, Senegal’s capital. The vision was grand: sleek skyscrapers, a hospital, a university, and a city powered entirely by renewable energy. Akon had promised that the project was “100,000 per cent moving” as recently as 2022.
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However, progress on Akon City stalled. The only structure built on the land is a half-finished reception building, and construction efforts stopped completely. Funding issues and project mismanagement, especially around the Akoin cryptocurrency, were major factors cited for the halt. Akon himself admitted the cryptocurrency “wasn’t being managed properly.”
As a result, Senegal’s government has taken back most of the land originally set aside for Akon City. Serigne Mamadou Mboup, head of Sapco, told the BBC, “The Akon City project no longer exists.” He added that the new plans, which Akon supports, are more realistic and will focus on developing hotels, apartments, and a scenic promenade along a nearby lagoon.
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Though the grand city project has been shelved, Akon has retained eight hectares of land for a new, smaller-scale project with backing from Sapco. The details of this initiative haven’t been disclosed yet.
Senegal’s shift from an ultra-modern “crypto city” to a more traditional tourist development mirrors other ambitious urban projects worldwide that have faced challenges. Egypt’s New Administrative Capital and Saudi Arabia’s The Line in Neom are examples of mega-city projects that also aim to redefine city living, though with varying degrees of progress and controversy.
For now, the hope is that Senegal’s new tourism-focused development will bring tangible benefits and growth to the region without the complications that came with the original Akon City vision. Akon, who has gained international fame as both a musician and entrepreneur, remains involved but with more grounded expectations.
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