Latest news with #Mbodiène
BBC News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Akon's futuristic $6bn city project in Senegal abandoned, BBC told
10 Design Architecture Plans for a futuristic city in Senegal dreamt up by the singer Akon have been scrapped and instead he will work on something more realistic, officials say. "The Akon City project no longer exists," Serigne Mamadou Mboup, the head of Senegal's tourism development body, Sapco, told the BBC. "Fortunately, an agreement has been reached between Sapco and the entrepreneur Alioune Badara Thiam [aka Akon]. What he's preparing with us is a realistic project, which Sapco will fully support." Known for his string of noughties chart hits, Akon - who was born in the US but partly raised in Senegal - announced two ambitious projects in 2018 that were supposed to represent the future of African society. The first was Akon City - reportedly costed at $6bn (£5bn). It was to run on the second initiative - a brand new cryptocurrency called Akoin. Initial designs for Akon City, with its boldly curvaceous skyscrapers, were compared by commentators to the awe-inspiring fictional city of Wakanda in Marvel's Black Panther films and comic books. But after five years of setbacks, the 800-hectare site in Mbodiène - about 100km (60 miles) south of the capital, Dakar - remains mostly empty. The only structure is an incomplete reception building. There are no roads, no housing, no power grid. "We were promised jobs and development," one local resident told the BBC. "Instead, nothing has changed." Meanwhile the star's Akoin cryptocurrency has struggled to repay its investors over the years, with Akon himself conceding: "It wasn't being managed properly - I take full responsibility for that." There had also been questions over whether it would even be legal for Akoin to operate as the primary payment method for would-be residents of Akon City. Senegal uses the CFA franc, which is regulated and issued by the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), and like many central banks has expressed opposition to cryptocurrency. The plans for Akon City had been sweeping. 10 Design Architecture Phase one alone was to include a hospital, a shopping mall, a school, a police station, a waste centre, and a solar plant - all by the end of 2023. Sitting on Senegal's Atlantic Coast, Akon's high-tech, eco-friendly city was supposed to run entirely on renewable energy. But despite Akon's insistence in a 2022 BBC interview that the project was "100,000% moving", no significant construction followed the initial launch ceremony. Now the Senegalese government has confirmed what many suspected - the project had stalled beyond recovery. Officials cited a lack of funding and halted construction efforts as key reasons for the decision. Although Akon City as it was originally imagined has been shelved, the government says it is now working with Akon on a more "realistic" development project for the same site. The land near Mbodiène remains of high strategic value, especially with the 2026 Youth Olympic Games approaching and increased tourism activity expected. You may also be interested in: Akon's Wakanda, grazing goats and a crumbling crypto dream Born in France but searching for a future in Africa US basketball training for Senegal cancelled after visas rejected Senegal starts producing oil as president promises benefits Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Senegal Africa United States
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Akon's futuristic $6billion city in Senegal 'has been SCRAPPED' and will be swapped for 'a realistic project'
Akon's grand plans to build a £4.3 billion futuristic city in Senegal have officially been scrapped five years after the singer promised to turn a remote stretch of West African coastline into a real-life Wakanda. The Senegalese government has confirmed that instead of the ambitious plan, it was now making way for something more 'realistic'. Once touted as a high-tech utopia powered entirely by renewable energy and fuelled by its own cryptocurrency, the project has collapsed amid funding woes, stalled construction, and legal headaches. The admission marks a stunning reversal for a project once unveiled with great fanfare in 2018, when Akon, 52, real name Alioune Badara Thiam, announced plans to build a futuristic smart city near the village of Mbodiène. Designed with curvy skyscrapers and sleek modern infrastructure, early renderings of Akon City drew comparisons to Marvel's fictional African metropolis Wakanda. The city, Akon said at the time, would boast a hospital, mall, police station, waste centre, school, and even a solar plant all built by 2023 and running on his own digital currency, Akoin. But nearly six years later, the 800-hectare site remains virtually untouched. A single half-built reception centre stands alone in the barren field with no roads, homes, or electricity. Even Akoin, the cryptocurrency designed to power the economy of the new city, has tanked. The token's value plummeted and investors, leaving investors. Akon, who was born in the US but was partially raised in Senegal, eventually admitted the project had been mismanaged. The ambitious plan also raised eyebrows from regulators. Senegal uses the CFA franc, a currency overseen by the Central Bank of West African States, which, like many central banks, is firmly against cryptocurrencies being used as legal tender. In 2022, Akon insisted the project was '100,000% moving', but no meaningful construction followed the glossy press events. Drone footage taken in recent months showed a flat stretch of grassland, eerily quiet. Now, with the 2026 Youth Olympic Games on the horizon and the government focused on tourism infrastructure, officials are repurposing the land for a more modest development. No details have been released on the new plan, but insiders say it's likely to involve less fantasy and more feasibility, with the government keen to avoid another international embarrassment. Serigne Mamadou, in charge of Senegal's tourism development body, Sapco told the BBC: 'The Akon City project no longer exists.' 'Fortunately, an agreement has been reached between Sapco and the entrepreneur Alioune Badara Thiam [aka Akon]. What he's preparing with us is a realistic project, which Sapco will fully support.' Akon became an international success in 2024 following the release of his debut album and several top 10 hits. In recent times, he has been less involved in the music industry after a series of singles that failed to replicate his earlier commercial success.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Akon's futuristic $6bn city project in Senegal abandoned, BBC told
Plans for a futuristic city in Senegal dreamt up by the singer Akon have been scrapped and instead he will work on something more realistic, officials say. "The Akon City project no longer exists," Serigne Mamadou Mboup, the head of Senegal's tourism development body, Sapco, told the BBC. "Fortunately, an agreement has been reached between Sapco and the entrepreneur Alioune Badara Thiam [aka Akon]. What he's preparing with us is a realistic project, which Sapco will fully support." Known for his string of noughties chart hits, Akon - who was born in the US but partly raised in Senegal - announced two ambitious projects in 2018 that were supposed to represent the future of African society. The first was Akon City - reportedly costed at $6bn (£5bn). It was to run on the second initiative - a brand new cryptocurrency called Akoin. Initial designs for Akon City, with its boldly curvaceous skyscrapers, were compared by commentators to the awe-inspiring fictional city of Wakanda in Marvel's Black Panther films and comic books. But after five years of setbacks, the 800-hectare site in Mbodiène - about 100km (60 miles) south of the capital, Dakar - remains mostly empty. The only structure is an incomplete reception building. There are no roads, no housing, no power grid. "We were promised jobs and development," one local resident told the BBC. "Instead, nothing has changed." Meanwhile the star's Akoin cryptocurrency has struggle to repay its investors over the years, with Akon himself conceding: "It wasn't being managed properly - I take full responsibility for that." There had also been questions over whether it would even be legal for Akoin to operate as the primary payment method at Akon City. Senegal uses the CFA franc, which is regulated and issued by the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), and like many central banks has expressed opposition to cryptocurrency. The plans for Akon City had been sweeping. Phase one alone was to include a hospital, a shopping mall, a school, a police station, a waste centre, and a solar plant - all by the end of 2023. Sitting on Senegal's Atlantic Coast, Akon's high-tech, eco-friendly city was supposed to run entirely on renewable energy. But despite Akon's insistence in a 2022 BBC interview that the project was "100,000% moving", no significant construction followed the initial launch ceremony. Now the Senegalese government has confirmed what many suspected - the project had stalled beyond recovery. Officials cited a lack of funding and halted construction efforts as key reasons for the decision. Although Akon City as it was originally imagined has been shelved, the government says it is now working with Akon on a more "realistic" development project for the same site. The land near Mbodiène remains of high strategic value, especially with the 2026 Youth Olympic Games approaching and increased tourism activity expected. Akon's Wakanda, grazing goats and a crumbling crypto dream Born in France but searching for a future in Africa US basketball training for Senegal cancelled after visas rejected Senegal starts producing oil as president promises benefits Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Focus on Africa This Is Africa
BBC News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Akon City: Wakanda-style $6bn project abandoned by Senegal
Plans for a futuristic city in Senegal dreamt up by the singer Akon have been scrapped and instead he will work on something more realistic, officials say."The Akon City project no longer exists," Serigne Mamadou Mboup, the head of Senegal's tourism development body, Sapco, told the BBC."Fortunately, an agreement has been reached between Sapco and the entrepreneur Alioune Badara Thiam [aka Akon]. What he's preparing with us is a realistic project, which Sapco will fully support."Known for his string of noughties chart hits, Akon - who was born in the US but partly raised in Senegal - announced two ambitious projects in 2018 that were supposed to represent the future of African society. The first was Akon City - reportedly costed at $6bn (£5bn). It was to run on the second initiative - a brand new cryptocurrency called designs for Akon City, with its boldly curvaceous skyscrapers, were compared by commentators to the awe-inspiring fictional city of Wakanda in Marvel's Black Panther films and comic books. But after five years of setbacks, the 800-hectare site in Mbodiène - about 100km (60 miles) south of the capital, Dakar - remains mostly empty. The only structure is an incomplete reception building. There are no roads, no housing, no power grid."We were promised jobs and development," one local resident told the BBC. "Instead, nothing has changed."Meanwhile the star's Akoin cryptocurrency has struggle to repay its investors over the years, with Akon himself conceding: "It wasn't being managed properly - I take full responsibility for that."There had also been questions over whether it would even be legal for Akoin to operate as the primary payment method at Akon City. Senegal uses the CFA franc, which is regulated and issued by the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), and like many central banks has expressed opposition to plans for Akon City had been sweeping. Phase one alone was to include a hospital, a shopping mall, a school, a police station, a waste centre, and a solar plant - all by the end of 2023. Sitting on Senegal's Atlantic Coast, Akon's high-tech, eco-friendly city was supposed to run entirely on renewable despite Akon's insistence in a 2022 BBC interview that the project was "100,000% moving", no significant construction followed the initial launch the Senegalese government has confirmed what many suspected - the project had stalled beyond recovery. Officials cited a lack of funding and halted construction efforts as key reasons for the Akon City as it was originally imagined has been shelved, the government says it is now working with Akon on a more "realistic" development project for the same land near Mbodiène remains of high strategic value, especially with the 2026 Youth Olympic Games approaching and increased tourism activity expected. You may also be interested in: Akon's Wakanda, grazing goats and a crumbling crypto dreamBorn in France but searching for a future in AfricaUS basketball training for Senegal cancelled after visas rejectedSenegal starts producing oil as president promises benefits Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
