The R&B singer Akon said his plans to build a city from scratch will go ahead. He has raised funds for a futuristic metropolis of 300,000 people on Africa's west coast. He will call it Akon City, which he described as a "real-life Wakanda" from the city in the movie "Black Panther". Akon was born in the USA to Senegalese parents. He spent much of his childhood in Senegal. He said construction on the $6 billion project will start next year. It is expected to take three years to finish. He hopes the project will provide much-needed employment for Senegalese people.
esigns on akoncity.com show a cityscape of dreamlike, shining glass and steel buildings. The towering skyscrapers were inspired by traditional sculptures made in African villages. The city will be high-tech and have high-speed Internet. Akon wants the city to be a port of call for Senegalese and other Africans facing racial injustice in the USA or Europe. He said: "The system back home treats people unfairly, in...ways that you can never imagine....So if you're coming from...the diaspora and you feel that you want to visit Africa, we want Senegal to be your first stop."