Wakanda-style $ 6BN project left by Senegal

Officials say that a futuristic city for a futuristic city in Senegal has been dreamed by singer Ekon for the city and instead he will work on some more realistic, officials say.

Senegal’s tourism development body chief Serig Mamdou Mbup, “Ekon City Project is no longer present.”

Luckily, an agreement has been signed between Sapco and entrepreneur Alioune Badara Thiam [aka Akon]The one who is preparing with us is a realistic project, which Sapco will fully support. ,

Known for his String of Nots Chart Hits, Acon – which was born in the US, but partially raised in Senegal – in 2018 announced two ambitious projects that were representing the future of African society.

The first was Ekon City – allegedly cost $ 6BN (£ 5BN). This was to run on the second initiative – a new cryptocurrency called Acoin.

Early designs for Ekon City, with its courageous curved skyscrapers, compared to Marvel’s black panther films and comic books by commentators to the amazing fictional city of Vekanda, Vekanda in the city of Vacanda.

But after five years of failures, the 800 -hectare site in Mbodèène – about 100 km (60 mi) south of the capital, Dakar – mostly remains empty. The only structure is an incomplete reception building. There are no roads, no housing, no power grid.

A local resident told the BBC, “We were promised jobs and development.” “Instead, nothing has changed.”

Meanwhile, the star of the star has struggled to repay its investors over the years, Accepting himself with Ekon: “It was not being managed properly – I take full responsibility for it.”

Questions were also raised on whether it would be legal for Akon to work as a primary payment method in Akon City. Senegal uses CFA Franc, which is regulated and released by the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), and many central banks have expressed opposition to cryptocurrency.

Plans for Ekon City were widespread.

A hospital, a shopping mall, a school, a police station, an waste center, and a solar plant – all had to be included in the stage alone – all by the end of 2023.

Sitting on the Atlantic coast of Senegal, the high-tech, Eco-friendly city of Ekon was to run completely on renewable energy.

But despite Akon’s insistence in the 2022 BBC interview that the project “used to run 100,000%”, no significant construction followed the initial launch ceremony.

Now the Senegal government has confirmed that there are many suspects – the project stopped beyond recovery. Officials stopped lack of funds and construction efforts as the major reasons for the decision.

Although it was originally conceived as Ekon City, the government says it is now working with Ekon on the more “realistic” development project for the same site.

The land near MBODYYE remains of a high strategic value, especially with the 2026 Youth Olympic Games and an increase in tourism activity.