Senegal has pulled the plug on Akon City, reclaiming almost all of the 55-hectare seaside concession after seven years of missed deadlines, fading crypto fortunes and a single half-finished welcome centre that now shares its lot with grazing goats.
The $6 billion “real-life Wakanda” once promised luxury towers and flying-car parking is now the most expensive visitor kiosk on the continent.
Ambitious Beginnings
Announced with Marvel-level fanfare in 2018, Akon called it a “real-life Wakanda” inspired by Black Panther -the plan promised soaring hotels, a 5,000-bed hospital and streets that ran on renewable energy and Akoin.
The project aimed to transform 136 acres of coastal land near Mbodiène into a futuristic city featuring luxury hotels, a university, a hospital, and a tech hub. Akon envisioned the city as a symbol of innovation and a sanctuary for the African diaspora.
Stalled Progress
Despite the grand vision, tangible progress has been minimal. The only structure partially completed is the Welcome Center, with the rest of the site remaining undeveloped. Local authorities and residents have expressed frustration over the lack of advancement and unfulfilled promises.
In August 2024, the Senegalese government issued a final ultimatum to Akon: commence substantial construction or risk losing 90% of the allocated land.
This action followed missed payments to Sapco-Senegal, the state-owned entity overseeing coastal development. With no significant development since then, the government reclaimed the land in July 2025, effectively terminating the project.
Financial Challenges
The project’s financial foundation was undermined by the sharp decline of Akoin’s value – from $0.15 at launch to $0.003 by August 2024. Additionally, Several villagers who surrendered farmland for the project still await compensation, fuelling local anger.
“My biggest mistake was promoting it way, way too early,” Akon admitted in a late-2024 interview.
Local Impact and Future Prospects
The abandonment of Akon City has left local communities disillusioned. While Akon funded the construction of a basketball court, a youth center, and fencing for a local football stadium, these efforts fell short of the transformative impact initially promised.
One farmer was blunter, telling Le Monde that, aside from a new basketball court and some fencing, “all we’ve seen are journalists and goats.”
As Senegal prepares for the 2026 Youth Olympic Games, the reclaimed land in Mbodiène may attract more feasible development proposals to meet the country’s growing infrastructure needs.
Bottom line: grand renderings, shaky crypto and missing cashflows seldom build cities. Until finance, engineering and plain old bricks line up, Mbodiène’s lone welcome centre will keep greeting only the goats- an unlikely monument to hype without homework.
