Akon's City Project faces Ultimatum from Senegalese Authorities

The Senegalese government recently served singer Akon with a legal notice requiring him to start building on his ambitious Akon City project or forfeit 90% of the land that has been allotted to him.

More than $6 billion worth of land was granted for the project. The original plan was to build a futuristic city based on the made-up nation of Wakanda from the Black Panther movies. Originally announced in 2018, Akon City is intended to be located on Senegal's Atlantic coast.

 

The city's plan calls for a number of amenities, including upscale condominiums, a university, medical facilities, and entertainment venues. Akoin, a cryptocurrency created by Akon, was supposed to fuel all of them. 

The Senegalese have responded to the project's delays since its beginning with their recent notice. The first phase was supposed to be finished by the end of 2023, and work was initially scheduled to start in 2020. But as of February 2024, not much had changed with the project—the Welcome Center was the sole structure that was only partially finished.

Residents and opponents are still skeptical of the idea, despite Akon's efforts to portray it as a possible economic booster that will create employment and revitalize the neighborhood. The initiative's general transparency, the project's viability, and the employment of local labor have all drawn criticism. Critics contend that the project's potential benefits may have been undermined by the lack of adequate community engagement.