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Senegal cancels proposed US$6 billion new city
07 July 2025
Plans for a futuristic city in Senegal have been abandoned after it was deemed to be too ambitious and expensive.
Initial plans for the city in Senegal. Image: 10 Design Architecture
The city was the inspiration of the singer Akon – Akon City would have reportedly costed approximately US$6 billion.
After five years of setbacks, the 800-hectare site in Mbodiène – about 100km (60 miles) south of the capital, Dakar – remains mostly empty. The only structure is said to be an incomplete reception building and there are no roads and no power.
According to the BBC, Serigne Mamadou Mboup, the head of Senegal’s tourism development body, Sapco, told them that, “The Akon City project no longer exists.
“Fortunately, an agreement has been reached between Sapco and the entrepreneur Alioune Badara Thiam [aka Akon]. What he’s preparing with us is a realistic project, which Sapco will fully support.”
The singer Akon was born in the US but raised partly in Senegal. His biggest hit is Lonely, which reached number one in several countries.
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