Singer Akon's $6 Billion Futuristic City Project Canceled - Mbodiene Residents Left Disappointed

The village, once set to host the ambitious futuristic City led by U.S.-based singer Alioune Badara Thiam, popularly known as Akon, was dealt a blow in early July after the Senegalese government announced it was scrapping the construction plans.

Futuristic Project Inspired by Wakanda

The City was estimated to cost approximately $6 billion, with a promise to create jobs for residents. Its futuristic vision was often compared to Marvel's fictional City of Wakanda.

The country's tourism development body, Sapco, confirmed to the BBC that the cryptocurrency-powered Akon City project has been discontinued. However, the village Chief, Michael Diome, expressed hope that the project would eventually take off. "So far, Akon has done everything he promised. So, we believed in him, even if it's a bit slow," he said in an interview with BBC News.

Government Reclaims Land Following Unmet Obligations

In June of last year, the government confirmed that it had reclaimed the land due to the project's failure to meet contractual obligations. The City was expected to develop, not just luxury housing, but a hospital, a university, and its police force. These, according to Akon, were to operate on the cryptocurrency, Akoin. The Senegalese government was hopeful that it would bring global investment into the country.

Economic Model "Not Practical"

After 7 years, the 800-hectare site in the south of the capital, Dakar, the dream city, is far from completion. SAPCO alleged that the artist has met no financial obligations, nor has any of the investor backing materialised. The organisation noted that no houses have been built yet, no roads are in sight, and no power grid has been installed. The Senegalese central bank also flagged a private cryptocurrency as illegal, highlighting that the economic model of the City was impractical.

"The Akon City project no longer exists," Serigne Mamadou Mboup, the head of SAPCO, told the BBC. "Fortunately, an agreement has been reached between SAPCO and the entrepreneur Alioune Badara Thiam. What he's preparing with us is a realistic project, which SAPCO will fully support."

Singer Shifts Focus to Community Projects

The singer has shifted his focus to small-scale community projects, including the construction of a youth center, a Basketball court, and a football stadium, all of which have already been financed. The government has welcomed the shift toward community-aligned developments.

While much of the community expressed frustration over the stalled progress, saying they were hopeful the project would bring about much-needed improvements and employment opportunities, Chief Diome maintained his support for the singer's vision, stating that his commitment to the small-scale projects should be viewed as a sign that the project would take off.