The ambitious $6 billion futuristic city project in Senegal, championed by Grammy-nominated artist Akon, has officially been scrapped, with officials confirming a shift towards a “more realistic” development on the same site.
Serigne Mamadou Mboup, head of Senegal’s tourism development body, SAPCO, confirmed that “The Akon City project no longer exists.” He added, “Fortunately, an agreement has been reached between SAPCO and Akon. What he’s preparing with us is a realistic project, which SAPCO will fully support.”
Akon, born in the U.S. but partly raised in Senegal, first unveiled plans for “Akon City” in 2018, envisioning a high-tech, eco-friendly metropolis powered by his own cryptocurrency, Akoin. Initial designs, featuring boldly curvaceous skyscrapers, drew comparisons to Marvel’s fictional city of Wakanda.
However, after five years, the 800-hectare site in Mbodiène, approximately 100km south of Dakar, remains largely undeveloped. Only an incomplete reception building stands, with no roads, housing, or power grid. Local residents expressed disappointment, with one telling the BBC, “We were promised jobs and development. Instead, nothing has changed.”
The Akoin cryptocurrency, intended to be the city’s primary payment method, has also faced significant challenges. Akon himself admitted it “wasn’t being managed properly”. Questions also arose regarding the legality of Akoin operating as a primary currency given Senegal’s use of the CFA franc, regulated by the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), which has expressed opposition to cryptocurrencies.
Original plans for “Akon City” were expansive, with Phase One alone slated to include a hospital, shopping mall, school, police station, waste center, and solar plant by the end of 2023. Despite Akon’s assurances in 2022 that the project was “100,000% moving,” significant construction failed to materialize after the initial launch ceremony.
The Senegalese government has now confirmed the project’s demise, citing a lack of funding and stalled construction. Despite this, the government intends to collaborate with Akon on a revised, more attainable development for the Mbodiène site, which remains strategically valuable, particularly with the upcoming 2026 Youth Olympic Games and anticipated increase in tourism.
