Bringing Wakanda to reality!
Music mogul Akon has begun development on Wakanda-inspired city in Senegal, CNN reports.
Earlier this year, singer and songwriter Akon announced plans to build a city in his native country of Senegal. After the 2,000 acres were gifted to the musician by President Macky Sall, Akon began planning for a smart city equipped with the latest technology. Now he’s moving forward with plans for Akon City, unveiling plans to model the design after the fictional Wakanda from the Black Panther movie.
#Akoncity pic.twitter.com/OX9ktv3VMc
advertisement— AKON (@Akon) August 12, 2020
“We are looking at Akon city to become the beginning of Africa’s future,” told CNN at a special ceremony to celebrate the start of construction of the city. “Our idea is to build a futuristic city that incorporates all the latest technologies, cryptocurrencies, and also the future of how African society should become in the future.”
Akon joined Senegal minister of tourism, Alioune Sarr, earlier this month to announce details about the futuristic smart city being built near Mbodieme, Senegal. The entire city will be solar-powered and feature skyscrapers, malls, music studios, and eco-friendly resorts, with Akon’s cryptocurrency Akoin, used as the primary currency for the city.
In 2014, Akon launched Lighting Africa, providing solar-powered electricity for 600 million Africans, following up years later with his blockchain currency, Akoin, in an effort to help Africans get control of their currency and become less dependent on the government.
“We are looking at Akon City to become the beginning of Africa’s future,” Akon said. “Our idea is to build a futuristic city that incorporates all the latest technologies, cryptocurrencies, and also the future of how African society should become in the future.”
Minister Sarr praised the singer’s efforts, saying, “At a time, in a context where national and international private investment is rare, Akon [has] chosen to come to Senegal and invest $6 billion in the coming years.”
The city has immense support from the Senegalese government as well as several unnamed investors. Akon hopes that the city will create a wealth of jobs for the people of Senegal while also serving as a safe place for Black Americans seeking refuge from the ills of the United States.
“The system back home [in the U.S.] treats [Black people] unfairly in so many different ways that you can never imagine. And they only go through it because they feel that there is no other way,” Akon said. “If you’re coming from America or Europe or elsewhere in the diaspora and you feel that you want to visit Africa, we want Senegal to be your first stop.”
For more information and to keep up with the development of the real-life Wakanda, visit www.akoncity.com.
Photo Courtesy of Black Enterprise