Singer Akon had previously announced plans to build a city in Senegal – and now it seems that the planned city is going to be quite a stunning project. The planned development, which is called Akon City, is going to be a $6 billion undertaking. But the new project is the recording artist’s desire to create a safe haven for those living along the African Diaspora.
Besides running on renewable energy, the planned city will also be using mostly Akoin – Akon’s very own cryptocurrency. The building plans consist of a 2,000-acre resort, condos, and stadium. While the plan has spent two years in development, it has now been announced by Akon that breaking ground will be going ahead in 2021.
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Akon, who is originally from Senegal, believes that Africa desperately needs some economic investment. Therefore, he’s hoping to create a “real-life Wakanda,” complete with a tech hub as well as a “Senewood” in order to establish a film industry.
The development’s futuristic look was designed by Bakri & Associates in order to compliment Akon’s vision for a progressive city. Just based on visuals alone, it really does look like something straight out of sci-fi.
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The construction of Akon City is meant to help stimulate the local economy by creating jobs. While many are excited about the construction project and eagerly await the founding of Akon City, there are also lots of critics. Papa Massama Thiaw, a councilor and president of the youth commission for Ngueniene, is still not sure about the project.
According to Reuters, Thiaw shared, “The studies that were done were not in collaboration with the commune of Ngueniene.”
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Thiaw also added concerns about the distribution of labor, saying, “I don’t want us to be just day laborers. We have to be among the managers.”
Regardless of what people might be saying about Akon City, the singer remains quite optimistic about his development. He has already secured roughly one-third of the funding needed to begin. In addition, he’s already looking into creating a franchise of the construction project so that it can be brought to other countries within the African continent.
What do you think of Akon City? Let us know!