The Senegalese-American R&B singer Akon’s plan to build a $6 billion smart city in his country of birth seems to have stalled. After being offered a vast piece of land by Senegal President Macky Sall in July 2018, Akon’s futuristic city saw its first stone being laid down on 31 August 2020. However, more than one year after that first accomplishment, the site remains grassland, reports Africanews.
Akon City is a planned community in the M'bour Department of Senegal by Senegalese singer and entrepreneur Akon. The project was first announced by Akon in 2018. Akon said in October 2022 that construction on the city's first phase would begin construction in 2023 and would open in 2026.
Akon said he was inspired by the movie Black Panther, and he refers to Akon City as a "real-life Wakanda" that uses the latest technologies of blockchain and cryptocurrency
Akon announced Akoin, a cryptocurrency, at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in 2018. On January 15, 2020, Akon announced plans for Akon City. In September 2020, Akon unveiled a rendering of a planned development of a futuristic city along the Atlantic coast. It is 100 km (62 mi) south of Dakar in Senegal. The planned city would feature condominiums, offices, parks, a university, an ocean resort, and a 5,000-bed hospital. The city is intended to attract tourists and investors; Akon told international media in August 2020 that he planned to retire there. Later renderings included fewer skyscrapers but retained a futuristic design. The city would be located near what is now the village of Mbodiène, a small rural village of about 1,500 people who primarily rely on the agricultural industry.
Another Akon City was announced in Uganda on April 6, 2021, by Akon alongside Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, the state minister for Housing and Urban Development, after Akon had met and discussed with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni. Akon further discussed the entire 15-year development project and its alleged benefits to Ugandans in an interview on Uganda's NBS TV with Canary Mugume.
The project was planned to have large skyscrapers, shopping malls, a technology hub, music studios, "Senewood" production facilities, and eco-friendly tourist resorts.
Akon City's development is proposed to be a ten-year project with mixed-use development. Akon says that the city will be a smart city that is eco-friendly and will be powered by renewable energy, including solar power. It is a LEED-certified project. The project's stated primary goal is to stimulate the local economy and to create jobs for local workers. Akon City developers are Los Angeles–based KE International and Dubai-based Bakri & Associates Development Consultants. Hussein Bakri, the CEO of Bakri & Associates, is the lead architect.
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