Akon is building a city in Senegal named after himself. The Senegalese-American singer has secured a $6 billion contract to break ground on Akon City, a “futuristic cryptocurrency themed” city that will be home to residents, malls, hotels, and even a solar power plant.
The singer has had his Akon City plans in the works for some time. Akon announced back in January that he had finalized agreements with the Senegalese government to go ahead with the city’s construction, a step that has been developing since 2018. According to KE International, the consulting firm that Akon is working with, Senegal’s President Macky Sall plans for Akon City to be a special tax-break zone in order to encourage development in the area.
Along with having homes, malls, and a power plant, Akon City will have all the amenities a city needs, including schools and a police station. Akon is spearheading the movement for the city to become the second LEED-certified city in Africa, meaning it will meet high standards for energy efficiency and environmentalism.
Akon City’s Phase One is expected to be wrapped up by end of 2023 and will see much of the city’s completion. Phase Two of the project is more ambitious, however. The plan is to have Akon City run exclusively on the AKOIN cryptocurrency by 2029.
Check out the mock-up for Akon City below.