(CNN) — Award-winning R&B singer Akon is working on an ambitious plan to build a “future enemy” city in Senegal that will be the real version of Wakanda, a high-tech country portrayed in Marvel blockbuster “Black Panther”.
“We see the city of Akon as the beginning of Africa’s future,” he said at an event also attended by Senegal’s tourism minister Alioune Sarr and other government officials. “Our idea is to build a city of the future that unites all the latest technologies, cryptocurrencies, and the future of what African society will be in the future.”
Cryptocurrency
Unlike other cryptocurrencies linked to a stable currency, Akoin is tied to phone call time and relies on smartphone usage.
According to the singer, more people in Africa trust cell phone companies more than trust local currencies.
“We want to be able to kill corruption through the blockchain itself and I think the biggest thing is to start with the currency. The most important thing they (Africans) can get is independence and I think I’m in a position to make it myself. Financial decisions are important,” he said.
However, Akoin faced criticism and questions about how it works in low-income countries with little access to smartphones or data.
Job creation
Akon told a press conference that work will begin in his city in 2021.
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“I wanted to build a city or project that would motivate them (African Americans) to know they have a hometown in their hometown. The unimaginable way is just going through because I feel there’s no other way.”
He added that his hope is that Senegal will become an African tourist destination as a result of the city of Akon.
“If you’re from America or Europe or anywhere in the diaspora and you feel like visiting Africa, I hope Senegal will be your first destination,” he says.
Senegal Tourism Minister Alioune Sarr cheered on Akon’s investment decision when the Covid-19 pandemic affected the country’s economy.
“With the rare domestic and international private investment, we decided to come to Senegal at the time to invest $6 billion.
This is not Akon’s first major investment in the continent. Over the years, this entertainer has signed major deals in Africa.