- Senegalese-American RnB singer Akon recently launched his new smart city development near Mbodième, a small coastal village in western Senegal.
- In a press briefing in Dakar the singer explained that the launch of the sustainable construction project was inspired by, the name of a fictional African kingdom from the superhero movie, Black Panther.
- The project has a Capex of USD 6 billion.
- Construction is expected to begin in Q1 2021.
Construction company KE International has been appointed to carry out construction works. Bakri & Associates Development Consultants are the appointed architects.
According to KE International, the first phase of the project, which will be completed in 2023, will result in the construction of roads, a Hampton’s hospital campus, a Hampton’s shopping mall, residences, hotels, a police station, a school, a landfill for the city’s waste and a photovoltaic solar power plant to supply the whole area.
The city has already been designated a “special tax zone” by the Senegalese government. This distinction allows the reduction of imports to Akon City, which is a good reason to attract investors. The city will be integrated into the country’s tourism vision thanks to a partnership signed in January 2020 between the Société d’aménagement et de promotion des côtes et zones touristiques du Sénégal (Sapco) and the project promoter, the singer Akon.
The second phase of the Akon City project is expected to start in 2024 and be completed in 2029. It will allow the complete construction of the city which will operate exclusively with the Akoin crypto-currency.
Related news: New Senegalese smart city to use crypto currency ‘Akoin’
The city will consist of parks, universities, schools, a stadium, hotels and an industrial complex. KE International indicated a few months ago that Akon City will be certified LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), a North American system of standardization for high environmental quality buildings created by the US Green Building Council.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
