Akon City

Last updated

Akon City
French: Ville d'Akon Wolof: Dëkku Akon
Planned city
Senegal adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Africa location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Coordinates: 14°14′N16°52′W / 14.23°N 16.87°W / 14.23; -16.87
CountryFlag of Senegal.svg  Senegal
Region, Thiès Region
Department M'bour Department
Establishment2026 (planned first phase)
Founded by
  • Akon (creatively)
  • Senegalese government (fiscally)
Time zone UTC+0 (GMT)
Website akoncity.com

Akon City is a planned community in the M'bour Department of Senegal by Senegalese singer and entrepreneur Akon. The project was first announced by Akon in 2018. [1] Akon said in October 2022 that construction of the city's first phase would begin in 2023 and be completed in 2028. Akon said he was inspired by the movie Black Panther, and he refers to Akon City as a "real-life Wakanda" that uses the latest technologies of blockchain and cryptocurrency. [2]

Contents

History

Akon discussing Akoin at WebSummit in Lisbon 2019 - Centre Stage - Day 2 VJR22082 (49024259568).jpg
Akon discussing Akoin at WebSummit in Lisbon

Akon announced Akoin, a cryptocurrency, at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in 2018. On January 15, 2020, Akon announced plans for Akon City. In September 2020, Akon unveiled a rendering of a planned development of a futuristic city along the Atlantic coast. [3] It is 100 km (62 mi) south of Dakar in Senegal. The planned city would feature condominiums, offices, parks, a university, an ocean resort, and a 5,000-bed hospital. The city is intended to attract tourists and investors; Akon told international media in August 2020 that he planned to retire there. Later renderings included fewer skyscrapers but retained a futuristic design. [4] The city would be located near what is now the village of Mbodiène, a small rural village of about 1,500 people who primarily rely on the agricultural industry. [5]

Another Akon City was announced in Uganda on April 6, 2021, by Akon alongside Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, the state minister for Housing and Urban Development, after Akon had met for discussions with Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni. [6] [7] [8] Akon further discussed the entire 15-year development project and its alleged benefits to Ugandans in an interview on Uganda's NBS TV with Canary Mugume. [9]

Design

The project is planned to have large skyscrapers, shopping malls, technology hub, music studios, "Senewood" production facilities, and eco-friendly tourist resorts.

Akon City's development is proposed to be a ten-year project with mixed-use development. Akon says that the city will be a smart city that is eco-friendly and will be powered by renewable energy, including solar power. It is a LEED-certified project. The project's stated primary goal is to stimulate the local economy and to create jobs for local workers. [10] [11] Akon City developers are Los Angeles–based KE International and Dubai-based Bakri & Associates Development Consultants. Hussein Bakri, the CEO of Bakri & Associates, is the lead architect. [12] [13]

As originally announced, Akon City consisted of two phases of development.

Phase 1: Proposed to be completed by 2023 is the construction of roads, a hospital campus, a shopping mall, residential estates, hotels, a police station, a school, a waste facility, parks, and a photovoltaic solar power plant.

Phase 2: The project is proposed to complete between 2024 and 2029.

In an October 2022 interview with DJ Vlad, Akon said that Phase 1 would open by 2026. [14]

Economy

Akon envisions Akoin, a cryptocurrency which he founded, to be the central currency. [15] [12] [16] [17] [18] The Central Bank of West African States, which regulates and issues Senegal's official currency, the CFA franc, described the use of an alternative currency as illegal. [19] The Akoin cryptocurrency began trading in September 2021 at £0.23 (GBP), and as of December 2022, was worth £0.01. [4]

Akon raised funds for the project by selling Tokens of Appreciation (TOA) in a campaign that ended in October 2019; each $1 (USD) donated would be converted to up to four TOA, which would later convert to Akoin. Two years after the TOA campaign concluded, an administrator offered cash refunds for TOA; a year after that offer was made, no refunds have been issued. [4]

Controversy

As of February 2024, the project has barely begun construction, with only one building—the Welcome Center—being partially complete. [20] In September 2021, locals in Mbodiène cited the COVID-19 pandemic as a possible cause for the delay. [21] A local journalist visited the site in December 2022, and apart from a foundation stone laid in a ceremony in 2020, found no sign of construction. Akon told the BBC, "It wasn't being managed properly. I take full responsibility for that." [4]

A lawsuit has been brought against Akon in the United States by Devyne Stephens for a debt of almost $4 million (USD) borrowed as part of the implementation of his futuristic city project. Akon's team has disputed Stephens' claims as "innuendo and speculation." [22] In April 2022, part of the lawsuit was settled for $850,000, equivalent to $884,990in 2023. [23] [20]

Additionally, Akon City has encountered challenges pertaining to land rights. Specifically, there are instances where citizens, who were previous landowners, are entitled to compensation from the Senegalese government, yet some remain unpaid. [20]

Potential cancellation

In August 2024, Sapco-Senegal, the Senegalese national tourism and coastal development entity, has issued Akon an ultimatum to initiate his project or return 90% of the land that was governmentally granted to him. The ultimatum was issued by General Manager Serigne Mboup in response to him failing to fulfill several payments to Sapco. [24] Although the city's infrastructure was planned to depend on Akoin, over the last few years since its launch in 2020, its price has dropped from $0.15 to just $0.003. The city's first phase was scheduled for completion by 2023, but COVID-19 and other setbacks have delayed its development indefinitely. Local residents who have sacrificed their own land for the project have yet to be compensated. [25]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Senegal</span> Country on the coast of West Africa

Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. Senegal is bordered by Mauritania to the north, Mali to the east, Guinea to the southeast and Guinea-Bissau to the southwest. Senegal nearly surrounds The Gambia, a country occupying a narrow sliver of land along the banks of the Gambia River, which separates Senegal's southern region of Casamance from the rest of the country. Senegal also shares a maritime border with Cape Verde. Senegal's economic and political capital is Dakar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of Senegal</span>

The economy of Senegal is driven by mining, construction, tourism, fishing and agriculture, which are the main sources of employment in rural areas, despite abundant natural resources in iron, zircon, gas, gold, phosphates, and numerous oil discoveries recently. Senegal's economy gains most of its foreign exchange from fish, phosphates, groundnuts, tourism, and services. As one of the dominant parts of the economy, the agricultural sector of Senegal is highly vulnerable to environmental conditions, such as variations in rainfall and climate change, and changes in world commodity prices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foreign relations of Senegal</span>

Senegal's first President, Léopold Senghor, advocated close relations with France and negotiation and compromise as the best means of resolving international differences after Senegal's independence from its status as a French colony. To a large extent, the two succeeding presidents, Abdou Diouf and Abdoulaye Wade, have carried on Senghor's policies and philosophies. Senegal has long supported functional integration among French-speaking West African states through the West African Economic and Monetary Union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baaba Maal</span> Senegalese singer and guitarist (born 1953)

Baaba Maal is a Senegalese singer and guitarist born in Podor, on the Senegal River. In addition to acoustic guitar, he also plays percussion. He has released several albums, both for independent and major labels. In July 2003, he was made a UNDP Youth Emissary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Macky Sall</span> President of Senegal from 2012 - 2024

Macky Sall is a Senegalese politician who served as the 4th President of Senegal from 2012 to 2024. He previously served as the 8th Prime Minister of Senegal from July 2004 to June 2007, under President Abdoulaye Wade and President of the National Assembly from June 2007 to November 2008.

Wakanda, officially the Kingdom of Wakanda, is a fictional country appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the country first appeared in Fantastic Four #52. Wakanda is located in sub-Saharan Africa and has been depicted as being in East Africa. It is home to the superhero Black Panther.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akon</span> Senegalese-American singer-songwriter (born 1973)

Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam, known mononymously as Akon, is a Senegalese-American singer-songwriter, record producer, businessman, and philanthropist. An influential figure in world music, he rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of his single "Locked Up". Styled in hip hop, it preceded the release of his debut studio album Trouble (2004), which became his commercial breakthrough and spawned the R&B-styled follow-up, "Lonely" the following year.

Pension Towers is a building under construction in Kampala, the capital of Uganda and the largest city in that country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">India–Senegal relations</span> Bilateral relations

India–Senegal relations are bilateral diplomatic relations between India and Senegal. India maintains an embassy in Dakar and Senegal in New Delhi. Although people to people contacts have been limited, the two countries enjoy warm relations and in recent years trade and investment have been increasing steadily.

The Kampala–Jinja Expressway, also known as the Jinja–Kampala Expressway, is a proposed four-lane toll highway in Uganda, linking Kampala, the capital and largest city of Uganda, with the city of Jinja in the Eastern Region of Uganda.

Uganda Heart Institute (UHI) is a specialized, public, tertiary care medical facility owned by the Uganda Ministry of Health. It is a component of Mulago National Referral Hospital, the largest hospital in Uganda, which serves as the teaching hospital of Makerere University College of Health Sciences.

Kiira Motors Corporation or KMC is a State Enterprise in Uganda established to champion the Development of the Domestic Automotive Value Chain for job and wealth creation and commercialize the Kiira Electric Vehicle Project. The Equity Partners are the Government of the Republic of Uganda represented by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Office of the President holding 96% of the initial stock and Makerere University holding 4%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neom</span> Planned city in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia

Neom is an urban area being built by Saudi Arabia in Tabuk Province. Launched in 2017 by crown prince Mohammad bin Salman, the site is at the northern tip of the Red Sea, due east of Egypt across the Gulf of Aqaba and south of Jordan. The total planned area of Neom is 26,500 km2 (10,200 sq mi). Multiple regions are planned, including a floating industrial complex, global trade hub, tourist resorts and a linear city powered by renewable energy sources. Saudi Arabia claimed that NEOM would create around 460,000 jobs and add an estimated $48 billion to the country's GDP. Thousands of people have been forcibly moved to make way for the project and villages have been razed.

<i>Black Panther: Wakanda Forever</i> 2022 Marvel Studios film

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a 2022 American superhero film based on Marvel Comics featuring the character Shuri / Black Panther. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the sequel to Black Panther (2018) and the 30th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Directed by Ryan Coogler, who co-wrote the screenplay with Joe Robert Cole, the film stars Letitia Wright as Shuri / Black Panther, alongside Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Florence Kasumba, Dominique Thorne, Michaela Coel, Mabel Cadena, Tenoch Huerta Mejía, Martin Freeman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Angela Bassett. In the film, the leaders of Wakanda fight to protect their nation in the wake of King T'Challa's death.

Diamniadio Lake City is a government approved futuristic township based in Diamniadio, Senegal. The township is conceptualized to ease the residential and commercial clutter in the capital of Dakar, which is currently the home to a quarter of the country’s 14 million people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tanzania Standard Gauge Railway</span> Government-owned standard gauge railway system in Tanzania

The Tanzania Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) is a railway system, under construction and partially in operation, serving Tanzania and linking it to the neighbouring countries of Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi, and through these to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as part of the East African Railway Master Plan. The new, electrified standard gauge railway is intended to replace the outdated metre-gauge railway system.

Events in the year 2020 in Senegal.

The Line is a linear smart city under construction in Saudi Arabia in Neom, Tabuk Province, housed in a single building, that is designed to have no cars, streets or carbon emissions. The plans are for the city to span 170 kilometres (110 mi) at a height of 500 m (1,600 ft) and a width of 200 metres (660 ft) sized to accommodate a population of 9 million. The Line would have an entirely glass mirror exterior. All basic services within a five-minute walking distance.

The economic policy of the Joe Biden administration, colloquially known as Bidenomics, is characterized by relief measures and vaccination efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic, investments in infrastructure, and strengthening the social safety net, funded by tax increases on higher-income individuals and corporations. Other goals include increasing the national minimum wage and expanding worker training, narrowing income inequality, expanding access to affordable healthcare, and forgiveness of student loan debt. The March 2021 enactment of the American Rescue Plan to provide relief from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was the first major element of the policy. Biden's Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was signed into law in November 2021 and contains about $550 billion in additional investment. Biden also signed three major pieces of longer-term economic legislation to repair infrastructure like roads, bridges and water pipes, boost semiconductor investment, and expand green energy.

Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is a group of American superhero films and television series to be produced by Marvel Studios based on characters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics. Phase Six features all of the Marvel Studios productions set to be released starting from mid-2025 to mid-2027, with Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures distributing the films, while the series release on Disney+. Live-action series are released under Marvel Studios' "Marvel Television" label. The first film in the phase will be The Fantastic Four: First Steps, scheduled for release in July 2025. The release schedule of Phase Six was changed several times due to the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes. Kevin Feige produces every film and executive produces every television series in this phase, alongside Anthony and Joe Russo for Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, and Amy Pascal for the untitled Spider-Man: No Way Home sequel.

References

  1. ↑ Adepoju, Paul (June 25, 2018). "Musician Akon is creating a futuristic city and his own cryptocurrency in Senegal". CNN. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  2. ↑ Pires, Samantha (December 26, 2020). "Singer Akon is Spending $6 Billion to Build a 'Real-Life Wakanda' in Senegal". mymodernmet.com.
  3. ↑ Paquette, Danielle (September 1, 2020). "Akon just unveiled his $6 billion 'futuristic' city in Senegal. The reviews are mixed". The Washington Post . ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Griffin, Jonathan (December 24, 2022). "Akon's Wakanda, grazing goats and a crumbling crypto dream". BBC News. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  5. ↑ Peyton, Nellie (December 14, 2020). Griffiths, Lyndsay (ed.). "Future or fantasy? Senegal questions 'Akon City'". Thomson Reuters Foundation .
  6. ↑ Manns, Keydra (April 5, 2021). "Akon to build second futuristic city in Uganda". TheGrio.com. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  7. ↑ Hamilton, Xavier (April 5, 2021). "Akon Set to Build Futuristic, Cryptocurrency-Based City in Uganda". Complex . Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  8. ↑ Farzan, Antonia Noori (April 6, 2021). "Akon hasn't even built his first 'futuristic' city yet, but Uganda is giving him land for a second". The Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  9. ↑ Kazibwe, Kenneth (April 6, 2021). "Akon explains his futuristic city and how it will benefit Ugandans". Nile Post. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  10. ↑ Srikanth, Anagha (December 28, 2020). "Singer Akon is raising $6B to build a real-life Wakanda straight out of the movie 'Black Panther'". The Hill .
  11. ↑ "Senegal's Tourism Gets Huge Boost from 'Akon City' Project". hotelandtourismonline.com. August 12, 2020. Archived from the original on April 13, 2021.
  12. 1 2 Smithson, Aaron (December 31, 2020). "Akon moves ahead with crypto city in Senegal despite skepticism". The Architect’s Newspaper .
  13. ↑ Takouleu, Jean Marie (September 6, 2020). "SENEGAL: Akon City, the Green City Project is launched at a cost of $6 billion". Afrik21.
  14. ↑ Yates, Shanique (October 19, 2022). "Akon Says The First Phase Of Akon City Will Open In 2026, Reveals City Will House Africa's Largest Hospital". AfroTech. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  15. ↑ Adepoju, Paul (June 25, 2018). "Musician Akon is creating a futuristic city and his own cryptocurrency in Senegal". CNN.com.
  16. ↑ Akinwotu, Emmanuel (September 1, 2020). "Music mogul Akon going ahead with futuristic 'Akon City' in Senegal". theguardian.com.
  17. ↑ Lynn, Samara (November 15, 2018). "Akon's Tech Utopia". Black Enterprise.
  18. ↑ Salaudeen, Aisha (September 2, 2020). "R&B singer Akon is building a 'real-life Wakanda' worth $6 billion in Senegal". CNN.com.
  19. ↑ Kobo, Kingsley (April 10, 2021). "Akon wants to run a Senegal city on cryptocurrency—could it work?". Quartz. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  20. 1 2 3 Khan, Aina J. (December 4, 2023). "Akon City: tumbleweed rolls through site of rapper's Wakanda-inspired dream". The Guardian. Mbodiène.
  21. ↑ "Singer Akon's Senegalese 'Wakanda' city unstarted, locals left in dark". Africanews . September 3, 2021.
  22. ↑ Bell, Breanna (March 10, 2022). "Akon Accused of Running 'Ponzi Schemes'". popculture.com.
  23. ↑ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–" . Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  24. ↑ Hoije, Katarina; Ojambo, Fred (August 2, 2024). "Singer Akon's Multibillion-Dollar Futuristic City in Africa Gets Final Notice". bloomberg.com. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  25. ↑ Dan-Awoh, Deborah (August 3, 2024). "Singer Akon's $6 Billion futuristic African City project gets final warning deadline". nairametrics.com. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.