• The Akon City project in Senegal, inspired by Marvel's Wakanda, has been officially abandoned.
• Authorities cite financial struggles and stallings in construction as key factors for the project's cancellation.
• Akon plans to collaborate on a more realistic and feasible development project instead.
• The original project aimed to transform an 800-hectare site into a futuristic metropolis powered by renewable energy.
• Akon acknowledged mismanagement of the Akoin cryptocurrency critical for funding the project.

The Senegalese government has officially abandoned plans for the ambitious Akon City project, a $6 billion initiative inspired by the fictional city of Wakanda from Marvel's Black Panther, due to persistent financial difficulties and delays in construction. Serigne Mamadou Mboup, head of Senegal's tourism authority SAPCO, confirmed that "the Akon City project no longer exists," emphasizing that a new, more practical development initiative will be pursued in collaboration with Akon.

Initially announced in 2018, Akon City was envisioned as an eco-friendly metropolis designed to operate on renewable energy and be backed by Akoin, his proposed cryptocurrency. However, after five years of stagnation, the project saw no substantial progress, with only an incomplete reception building marking the site, which remains empty of roads and housing. "We were promised jobs and development, but nothing has changed," lamented local residents expressing disappointment over the halted project.

A significant factor in the project's demise was Akoin's poor market performance, with Akon admitting to mismanagement and acknowledging that the cryptocurrency faced legal challenges in Senegal where the CFA franc is the only official currency. The failure of construction milestones and unmet financial commitments raised serious doubts about the viability of the project from the onset.

Despite the collapse of Akon City as originally envisioned, Senegal's government plans to work with Akon on a revised and more achievable project. The site remains strategically valuable, especially with the upcoming 2026 Youth Olympic Games and potential tourism development in the region, indicating that further opportunities for collaboration between the artist and the government may still emerge.