Singer Akon Begins Building “Futuristic’ City in Africa

American-Senegalese singer Aliaume Damala Badara Akon Thiam, better known as Akon, has begun building his own “futuristic” city in Africa.

In a recent interview with Nick Cannon, the 46-year-old R&B singer indicated that the construction of the city dubbed “Akon City” started in March this year.

Akon announced plans to build the city during the Cannes Lions Festival in June last year, saying that it would be a 100 percent crypto-based city. The city will have its own air terminal for residents and tourists to fly in and out and will be “renewable,” with a focus on solar energy.

“It’s Akon City. It’s all renewable, the Akon-tainment solar city. A real physical place, it’s going to have a real airport,” he said in the interview.

It will sit on a 2,000-acre land given by Senegalese President Macky Sall and will be only a short drive from Dakar, the capital city of Senegal. The new city will take 10 years to build. 

“It’s a 10-year building block so we’re doing it in stages. We started construction in March and stage two is going to be 2025,” Akon noted.

Last year, Akon said he believes his cryptocurrency named Akoin, could be the "savior of Africa." "I think that blockchain and crypto could be the savior for Africa in many ways because it brings the power back to the people and brings the security back into the currency system," Akon said.

He added: "Cryptocurrency also allows the people to utilize it in ways where they can advance themselves and not allow the government to do those things that are keeping them down."