Dakar, Senegal — The Senegalese government has officially cancelled Akon City, a highly publicized $6 billion futuristic city project spearheaded by American-Senegalese artist Akon, citing years of delays and lack of development.
The project, first announced in 2018, was envisioned as a real-life “Wakanda” — a modern, tech-driven smart city to be built on 500 hectares of coastal land in Mbodiène, about 100 kilometers from Dakar.
Despite global media attention and a star-studded launch in 2020, no significant construction has taken place. As of July 2025, the only completed structure is part of a “Welcome Center”, with cattle grazing across the rest of the undeveloped land where futuristic towers and hospitals were once promised.
“Akon City no longer exists,” Senegal’s tourism agency SAPCO confirmed, announcing the state’s repossession of the land.
- No construction progress for over five years
- Akoin, the proposed cryptocurrency for the city, failed to gain adoption or value
- Government issued a final warning in 2024, urging Akon to restart or lose the land
- By mid-2025, no updated proposal or credible investment had materialized
Akon had described the city as a beacon of African innovation, eco-friendly design, and a solution to poverty and underdevelopment. But critics later branded it a PR stunt, as promised investment and timelines fell flat.
The Senegalese government now plans to use the reclaimed land for realistic tourism and hotel development. Officials say this aligns better with national goals, especially with the 2026 Youth Olympic Games approaching.
“We are now focused on practical developments that will have real economic impact,” a government spokesperson said, noting that $1 billion could be injected into the region for new tourism projects.
As of this report, Akon has not publicly responded to the termination of his flagship project. His team also remains quiet about the future of Akoin, the failed cryptocurrency once positioned as the city’s financial backbone.
