Five years after Grammy-nominated artist Akon announced his ambitious plans to construct a futuristic, cryptocurrency-powered city in Senegal, the project has officially been scrapped. What was once touted as “Akon City,” a sprawling, high-tech utopia reminiscent of Marvel’s fictional Wakanda, has now been confirmed by the Senegalese government as a defunct endeavor, making way for a “more realistic” development.
Akon, whose real name is Alioune Badara Thiam, unveiled his grand vision in 2018, promising a £4.3 billion smart city near the village of Mbodiène. Renderings showcased curvy skyscrapers and sleek modern infrastructure, with the singer stating the city would feature a hospital, mall, police station, waste center, school, and a solar plant – all powered by his own digital currency, Akoin, and completed by 2023.
However, nearly six years later, the 800-hectare site remains largely untouched. Drone footage from recent months revealed a barren expanse of grassland with only a single, half-built reception center standing as a testament to the grand but unfulfilled promise. Despite Akon’s insistence in 2022 that the project was “100,000% moving,” no meaningful construction ever followed the initial fanfare.
The Daily Mail reports that the project’s collapse is attributed to a combination of funding woes, stalled construction, and legal headaches. This admission marks a significant reversal for a project that garnered international attention and drew comparisons to the technologically advanced African nation in Black Panther.
With the 2026 Youth Olympic Games on the horizon, the Senegalese government is now re-prioritizing its development efforts, focusing on more feasible tourism infrastructure. Serigne Mamadou, head of Senegal’s tourism development body, Sapco, confirmed to the BBC that “The Akon City project no longer exists.”
While details on the new plan are scarce, insiders suggest it will involve a more practical approach, with the government keen to avoid another international embarrassment. Sapco has reached an agreement with Akon for a “realistic project” that the body will fully support, though specifics have yet to be revealed. The dream of Akon City, a real-life Wakanda on the West African coast, has faded, leaving behind only the ghost of an ambitious, unfulfilled promise.