Once promoted as a futuristic smart city powered entirely by renewable energy and supported by its own cryptocurrency, Akon City was envisioned as a bold and transformative development for Senegal.
Inspired by the aesthetics of Marvel’s fictional Wakanda, the city’s original designs featured sweeping skyscrapers and cutting-edge infrastructure, with an estimated development cost of $6 billion. Despite the ambitious blueprint, nearly seven years after its announcement, the 800-acre site remains largely undeveloped—except for a single, incomplete reception building.
According to a report by the BBC, Senegal’s government is now reclaiming the land originally allocated for the project, opting instead to pursue what officials described as a more “realistic” development plan.
Senegalese authorities had initially backed the initiative with hopes that it would significantly impact national development, especially given Akon’s personal ties to the country. Born as Alioune Badara Thiam, the Grammy-nominated artist spent part of his childhood in Senegal.
However, the project has faced persistent challenges. Akon has reportedly struggled to secure adequate funding, and various legal hurdles have further complicated progress.
In 2021, a similar vision was set in motion in Uganda, where local authorities allocated 645 acres of land to the singer for another futuristic city. That project, too, has encountered setbacks. Nearly 10,000 residents currently living on the land have refused to vacate, claiming they were not consulted before the land was earmarked for development.
In 2018, Akon shared plans for the Senegal city, stating it would include a hospital, shopping mall, police station, and school.
“The Senegal city,” Akon said in 2018, “would be complete with a hospital, mall, police station, and a school.”
As of now, both ventures remain stalled, raising questions about the future of Akon’s dream to build Pan-African crypto-powered smart cities.
