Akon City is a project launched by Senegalese-American singer and entrepreneur Akon. Akon City will be built in Senegal. The project was first announced in Senegal by Akon along with the Senegal Minister of Tourism, Alioune Sarrin, in 2018.[1]
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]
Location
It will be located on 800-hectare (2,000 acres) of land in the coastal village of Mbodiène, 62 miles (100 km) from Dakar, near the Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport. The exact location where the proposed 1 square mile of land given to Akon has not been determined yet.[citation needed]
History
On January 15, 2020, Akon announced plans for Akon City.
In September 2020, Akon unveiled a rendering of his project: a 2,000-acre planned development of a futuristic city along the Atlantic coast. It is 62 miles south of Dakar in Senegal. The Akon City project is supported by Senegalese President Macky Sall. The planned city will feature condominiums, offices, parks, a university, an ocean resort, and a 5,000-bed hospital.
Akon City is designated as a "special tax zone" by the Senegalese government.
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 and discussed with Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni.[3][4][5] Akon further discussed the entire 15-year development project and its benefits to Ugandans in an interview on Uganda's NBS TV with Canary Mugume.[6]
Design
The project is planned to have large skyscrapers, shopping malls, tech hub, music studios, "Senewood", and eco-friendly tourist resorts. Akon envisions "Akoin", a cryptocurrency which he founded, to be the central currency.[7][8][9][10][11]
Akon City's development is projected to be a ten-year project with mixed-use development. Akon says the 2,000-acre city will be a smart city that is eco-friendly and powered by renewable energy, including solar power. It is a LEED-certified project. The city will welcome all members of the African diaspora as a home away from home. The project's primary goal is to stimulate the local economy and create jobs for local workers.[12][13] 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.[8][14]
Phase 1: Expected to be completed by 2023 will be the construction of roads, Hamptons Hospital campus, Hamptons Mall, residential estates, hotels, a police station, a school, a waste facility, parks, and a photovoltaic solar power plant.
Phase 2: The project is expected to be complete between 2024 to 2029, with plans for complete usage of cryptocurrency using the Akoin cryptocurrency.
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