Senegalese authorities have officially confirmed that plans for Akon City, the ambitious $6 billion futuristic metropolis championed by global music star Akon, have been abandoned. Instead, a more realistic project is now being planned for the same site in Mbodiène, according to Senegal’s tourism development agency, SAPCO.
“The Akon City project no longer exists,” said Serigne Mamadou Mboup, head of SAPCO, in an interview with the BBC. “Fortunately, an agreement has been reached with Akon [Alioune Badara Thiam] on a new, practical development, which SAPCO will fully support.”
Unveiled in 2018 with comparisons to Marvel’s fictional Wakanda, Akon City was marketed as a high-tech, eco-friendly smart city powered entirely by renewable energy and a new cryptocurrency, Akoin. Phase one was to include a hospital, shopping mall, school, police station, waste center, and solar plant—all to be completed by 2023.
However, after five years of stagnation, the 800-hectare plot in Mbodiène, about 100km south of Dakar, remains barren, with only a half-finished reception building standing. Locals who once had high hopes for jobs and development are now left disappointed. “We were promised opportunities,” one resident told the BBC. “Nothing has changed.”
Akon’s cryptocurrency Akoin also struggled to deliver on its promises, facing financial issues and raising regulatory concerns. Senegal’s use of the CFA franc, regulated by the Central Bank of West African States, created legal hurdles for Akoin to be adopted as a primary currency within the country.
Despite Akon’s optimism in past interviews—once saying the project was “100,000% moving”—little to no progress was made. Authorities have now cited a lack of funding and stalled construction as the main reasons for shelving the initiative.
Still, hope remains for the Mbodiène site. With the 2026 Youth Olympic Games on the horizon and tourism expected to grow, SAPCO says it is partnering with Akon on a new, achievable development plan. Details of the revised project are yet to be released, but officials stress that it will align more closely with current economic realities and infrastructure needs.
For now, the bold vision of Akon City fades into history as a symbol of ambition, setbacks, and the fine line between dream and delivery.
