Plans for the futuristic Akon City in Senegal, a $6 billion smart city project envisioned by singer Akon, have officially been abandoned by the Senegalese government. The ambitious project, announced in 2018, aimed to create a high-tech, eco-friendly city running entirely on renewable energy and powered by a new cryptocurrency called Akoin. Initial designs compared Akon City’s sleek skyscrapers to the fictional Marvel city of Wakanda.
However, after five years of delays and stalled construction, the site near Mbodiène, about 100 kilometers south of Dakar, remains largely undeveloped, with only a partially built reception building on the 800-hectare land. Promised infrastructure including housing, roads, schools, hospitals, and solar power plants have yet to materialize.
Senegal’s tourism development agency Sapco, led by Serigne Mamadou Mboup, confirmed to the BBC that the original Akon City project no longer exists. Instead, the government and Akon have agreed to move forward with a more realistic development plan, which Sapco will fully support.
Local residents expressed frustration over the project’s failure to deliver jobs or economic development as initially promised. Meanwhile, Akon’s cryptocurrency Akoin has struggled with investor repayments and questions over its legality in Senegal, where the CFA franc remains the official currency.
Officials cited lack of funding, halted construction, and regulatory challenges as key reasons for scrapping the original vision. Despite this setback, the Mbodiène site is still seen as a valuable location due to its proximity to the Atlantic coast and the upcoming 2026 Youth Olympic Games, which is expected to boost tourism.
The new partnership between Akon and Senegalese authorities aims to develop the area in a practical way that benefits the local economy while taking lessons from the failed mega-project.
LND/SAE
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