The futuristic dream of Akon City hasn’t faded, but it has officially shifted to a more low profile strategy.
After years of headlines questioning the progress of his $6 billion “real-life Wakanda” in Senegal, Akon recently appeared on the Kid L Podcast to set the record straight. The mogul revealed that the lack of public updates isn’t a sign of failure, but rather a calculated move to protect the project from what he describes as “coordinated sabotage.”
Akon explained that the moment his vision gained international traction, it became a massive bullseye. “It started to become a target. You know, when I first announced it, everybody was excited. But then as it started to gain traction, that’s when the sabotage started,” Akon shared. He noted that the constant media scrutiny and online skepticism began to hinder actual development, forcing him to change his approach. “So I stopped promoting it because the more I talked about it, the more it became a target for people to try to tear it down.”
The singer didn’t hold back when discussing the hurdles he’s faced on the continent, suggesting that the current infrastructure isn’t built to support revolutionary change. “You know, Africa’s system is designed to keep things like this down. It’s not set up for progress in that way. They don’t want to see something like that succeed because it would change everything. It would show what’s possible, and that threatens a lot of the status quo,” he claimed.
By pulling back on the marketing, Akon says he is finally allowing the project to breathe. He specifically addressed rumors that the land was seized or that the project was a scam, asserting that the groundwork is still being laid away from the public eye. “I pulled back on the marketing and the promotion to let it breathe quietly, let the work happen behind the scenes without drawing more negative attention or fake news or bots spreading lies that it’s not happening or the land was taken or whatever. Because once they know exactly what you’re doing and how big it is, that’s when the real sabotage kicks in.”
He reassured fans and investors that his commitment to the city, and the land he owns, is unwavering. “But it’s still moving forward, you know? It’s my purpose. I own the land, that’s facts. It’s just quieter now to avoid all that noise.”
“It started to become a target.”
Akon gives an update on Akon City, revealing he stopped promoting it to prevent sabotage and says Africa’s system is designed to keep it down.
(🎥 Kid L/Youtube)pic.twitter.com/nQMlS0zNFI
— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) February 28, 2026
