Once hailed as Africa’s futuristic utopia, Akon’s $6 billion dream to build a Wakanda-inspired smart city in Senegal has officially flatlined. What was supposed to be a shimmering metropolis of curvy skyscrapers, solar farms, crypto banks, and AI-driven everything has now been declared a no-go by the very folks who backed it. “Akon City no longer exists,” declared Serigne Mamadou Mboup, the boss at Senegal’s tourism board. “But hey, don’t worry, he’s cooking up something less sci-fi, more Wi-Fi,” he added, trying to put a brave face on what’s become a very expensive sandcastle.
The only sign of life at the Mbodiène site is a sad, half-finished welcome center that looks like it’s been ghosted by ambition itself. No roads, no power, no mall, no Marvel magic. Locals who were promised jobs, hospitals, and possibly a walk-on role in Black Panther 3 now just stare at an empty field wondering if it was all a very shiny mirage. “We were promised a lot. Now we just have goats and disappointment,” one resident joked with the BBC. Even Akoin, the supposed fuel for the city’s economy, ran out of gas early, leaving investors with nothing but blockchain heartbreak.
Akon, born Alioune Thiam, had sold the idea like a Grammy-winning real estate agent, complete with the kind of CGI renders you only see in video games or Elon Musk’s dreams. But the Senegalese government has now confirmed what most suspected: the project flatlined long ago due to vanishing funds and silent bulldozers. Not even Akon’s infectious optimism could power a city without an actual power grid. “It wasn’t managed properly, I’ll own that,” Akon confessed, sounding more like a man who lost a fantasy football league than a $6 billion visionary.
Now, here’s where the sequel begins: Akon had also made grand promises to Uganda. In 2021, he was warmly received by President Yoweri Museveni and given land in the Mukono district to build another version of his paradise, let’s call it Akon City: The East African Edition. But given the Senegal chapter’s ending, Ugandans are understandably cautious. Will their city be the next big thing, or the next big empty plot with an awkwardly enthusiastic ribbon-cutting photo?
To be fair, Akon isn’t giving up. Senegalese officials say they’re now working with him on a “more grounded” project, perhaps something that involves real buildings, less crypto, and more concrete. As for Uganda? Time will tell if Akon brings his A-game or just more architectural poetry. Either way, someone should at least install a real road this time. Or maybe a coffee shop. Baby steps toward Wakanda.
