R&B Star Akon’s New $6 Billion Smart City in Senegal Will Offer a Second Home for the African Diaspora

Akon may not be lonely for much longer. The famed R&B singer is going ahead with plans to build a new $6 billion smart city in Senegal where nationals can live and work—and where members of the African Diaspora will always be welcome.

The 47-year-old Senegalese American singer, known for hits like “Smack That” and “Lonely,” has confirmed that construction on “Akon City” will begin next year despite the pandemic’s devastating effects on global tourism. The 2,000-acre metropolis, which was first touted by the singer back in 2018, will feature a sprawling luxury resort, high-rise condos, recording studios, a stadium, and even its own cryptocurrency, “Akoin.”

The oasis is also expected to run on clean energy—no doubt supplied by the singer’s Akon Lighting Africa, which backs solar energy projects in rural areas—plus features an artificial intelligence data center. Naturally, the new city will have a futuristic aesthetic to match the cutting-edge tech. Penned by Bakri & Associates Development Consultants, the city is characterized by gleaming structures that have an almost Surrealist feel. In fact, the renderings look like the backdrop of a Ridley Scott film.

{snip} The singer told the Associated Press the project is geared toward stimulating the local economy and creating much-needed jobs for the Senegalese. He also envisions that the city will serve as a “home back home” for Black Americans and other members of the African Diaspora facing racial injustice.

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{snip} The singer says that construction on the new city will begin in early 2021. He also said he’s considering franchising the concept to other countries on the continent.

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