The ‘Locked Up’ star assures members of the African diaspora that they are safe in Akon City in Senegal as he insists racial injustice doesn’t exist in his city.
AceShowbiz –Akon wants those facing racial injustice to move to the futuristic city he plans to build in his parents’ native Senegal.
The R&B singer first announced plans for the project back in 2018, before closing a deal to build the $6 billion tech and tourism hub with Senegalese officials in January (20).
On Monday (31Aug20), the “Locked Up” singer announced that a third of the funding for the city is in place and that construction will begin next year – claiming it could be a haven for members of the African diaspora who have been poorly treated and discriminated against.
“The system back home treats them unfairly in so many different ways that you can never imagine,” Akon, who was born in the U.S., told the Associated Press. “And they only go through it because they feel that there is no other way.”
“So 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.”
This week, he also travelled with government officials 62 miles (100 kilometres) outside the Senegalese capital of Dakar to inspect the site for the new city, which will feature glass buildings inspired by the shapes of traditional African sculptures.
A hotel will feature rooms decorated for each of the 54 nations of Africa, with a seaside resort, a tech hub, and recording and film studios also planned – with the city using its own AKoin cryptocurrency.
The star invited comparisons to Wakanda – the fictional futuristic African kingdom in the “Black Panther” movie – calling them an “honour.”
He claims to have raised $2 billion of the $6 billion cost of the project from unnamed investors, with work estimated to take three years when it gets underway in 2021.
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