Akon City Dream Collapses in Senegal

Tourism Authority cancels R&B star’s futuristic metropolis project, citing lack of progress and funding.

The ambitious vision of Akon City, a futuristic metropolis envisioned by R&B star Akon, has been scrapped. The Senegalese tourism authority pulled funding, casting serious doubts on the project’s future.

Troubled Beginnings

First announced in 2018, the initial cornerstone was laid back in 2020. The concept promised an eco-friendly, technologically advanced city. It would feature skyscrapers, a shopping center, plus film studios.

However, the project encountered many hurdles from the very start, plagued by financial uncertainties and land disputes, ultimately stalling any significant advancements.

Initially, the project was envisioned to be a sprawling 800-hectare hub powered by renewable energy. The promotional materials highlighted schools, hospitals, and police stations, conjuring up images of Wakanda, the fictional nation of Black Panther.

Reality on the Ground

Reports painted a different picture. Journalists visiting Mbodiène found little beyond grazing cows and goats. By 2023, the welcome center construction had begun, but has since stalled.

The dream never materialized. Allegedly, Akon faced debt issues and lawsuits in the United States, further complicating the project’s viability.

Land Disputes and Unmet Promises

The local population of Mbodiène also expressed dissatisfaction, asserting they have waited for promised compensation. The compensation was for land expropriated by the Senegalese government to make way for the city.

Such disputes are common across the continent, with land disagreements accounting for as much as 70% of court cases in Sub-Saharan Africa (Brookings Institute).

Crypto Crash

Akon’s cryptocurrency, Akoin, mirrored the city’s fate. Investors suffered significant losses following its launch in 2020. Akon acknowledged the mismanagement of the coin and took responsibility.

Akoin plummeted in value, from $0.58 in February 2021 to a mere $0.0007 by November 2023, devastating early investors.

Project Officially Terminated

The Senegalese government declared Akon City irreparably stalled. The head of Tourism Authority Sapco cited “a lack of financing and the stopping of the construction work” as critical factors, stating definitively, “The Akon City project no longer exists.”

Despite the cancellation, Sapco says that it continues to collaborate with Akon, toward a “more realistic” development at the same location.