A rapper wanted to build a futuristic city of 6,000 million dollars in Senegal: a wakanda inspired

The American rapper Alioune Badara Thiam, better known as AKON, announced in 2020 his goal of building a Megation of 6,000 million dollars In Senegal. This city would be inspired by wakanda, The Central African country invented by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby to locate the kingdom of the Superhero Black Panther.

The proposal promised to change the urban and economic landscape of the African country, serving as a magnet To attract investments and tourism to Senegal. In the same way that happened to them To other pharaonic projectsAkon’s “Wakanda” went from estimating its investment of 6,000 million to a sixth part and, finally, summarizing just a couple of buildings in a remote rural population southeast of the capital of Senegal.

Akon City: Wakanda in real life

Akon was A success rapper During the early 2000s. Although he spent most of his life in the United States, his origin is Senegalés. That is why it is not strange that he dreamed with taking Senegal the project of his life.

The artist dreamed of building a futuristic megaciudad inspired by the wakanda I had seen in Marvel’s comics and movies. To anyone’s surprise, the rapper baptized the project as Akon City.

Although the idea could have remained as An artistic eccentricitythe close ties that joined Senegal made the then Minister of Tourism of Senegal, Alioune Sarr, give institutional support to the project, such and As reported The avant -garde In 2020. “For all those who come from America, Europe or anywhere wanting to visit Africa, we want Senegal to be his first stop,” said the rapper in the presentation of the project.

The rapper said “I want buildings to seem authentic African sculptures that make in the villages”, collected he Washington Post. That spirit was collected in the architecture that the artist imagined in the form of great skyscrapers in sinuous ways.

As can be seen on the project website, the city was going to be divided into different thematic areas: educational, health, technological, entertainment, etc., etc., equipped with hospitals, football stadiums, filming studies or research laboratories and universities.

And how is that paid?

Financing, in addition to state investments and private investment, was going to be supported by a cryptocurrency that the rapper wanted to link to the development of the city: the Akoin.

The Senegalese government fulfilled its part and contributed 800 coastal hectares without building to develop the new urban project. The chosen location was Mbodiène, an agricultural village about 100 kilometers southeast of Dakar.

However, like It has already happened With projects that start from Much more solvent pockets That Akon’s, Like NeomThe rapper soon realized that 6,000 million was a lot of money. Therefore, in 2024 investment expectations They were reduced from 6,000 million dollars to a much more modest plan, valued at 1,000 million dollars.

For its part, Akoin began its price on the Bitget exchange platform at $ 0.15 on November 19, 2020. For December 11, its last available price had already fallen to $ 0.003 confirming the little support that the project had received and hurting it.

Such and as he collected Bloomberg, At present, there are still no roads, homes or electricity grid on those land. The only constructions that the rapper has financed are a youth center, a basketball court in the nearby population of Mbodiène and a building reception still half building. Nor is there a trace of futuristic buildings They imagined for Akon City.

The end of Akon City and the future of the land

The outcome of the project came from the hand of Serigne Mamadou Mboup, director of Sapco, the Senegal Tourism Development Agency that in statements to the BBChe said: “The Akon City project no longer exists, fortunately, an agreement has been reached between Sapco and the businessman Alioune Badara Thiam. What is preparing with us is a realistic project, which Sapco will fully support”

The artist himself acknowledged that the project was great and admitted that “it was not properly managing; I assume all responsibility.”

Senegal has recovered 90% of the land that had yielded for the development of the city and plans to continue collaborating with the artist to build sports and civil equipment for 2026 Youth Olympic Games that are celebrated in Dakar. However, Senegal Wakanda will have to wait save in a drawer. Yibambe!

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Image | Akon CityFlickr (Web Summit), Disney