In 2020, Akon, the best-selling Grammy-nominated rapper, made the audacious and ultimately ludicrous assertion that he would develop a Wakanda-inspired metropolis in Senegal. The prototypes were stunning: sleek, glossy, curved buildings, new museums, and leafy boulevards, all in the centre of a country where 36% of the population lives in poverty.

Part of the concept relied on 'Akoin', a cryptocurrency launched in 2018 with the slogan "One Africa. One Koin." The crypto, like the city, was designed to unite Africa around a common goal and an accessible, digitised economy.

However, these dreams of a futuristic, Frank Gehry-inspired cityscape in Senegal and a unified African currency soon became nightmares not just for Akon but for everyone.

unpaid loans, delistings, and litigation.

Despite Akon's efforts to promote Akon City and Akoin through various media outlets and podcasts in 2019 and 2020, the projects quickly faltered.

First, Akon's former business partner filed a lawsuit against him, then Akon blamed the COVID-19 outbreak for the delays, and finally, Sapco, the corporation that bought the land for the city, neglected to pay hundreds of people who sold their property nearly a decade ago.

Akon continues to claim that the city will be constructed — at least partially — by 2026, but the reality on the ground is becoming less and less like Wakanda and more like any other failed urban project.

Meanwhile, Akoin has been delisted from every exchange where it was previously accessible for purchase. Buyers have received refunds, the Akon City website has been removed, and Akon has declared on Cameo (the platform where celebrities are paid by fans to record personalised videos) that he will not accept any cryptocurrency-related requests.

Idris Elba enters the chat

So, now that it’s clear that a new, ridiculously structured city in a poverty-stricken country requires experts and those with the money and means to get the project across the finish line, actor Idris Elba has decided to start his own new city just off the coast of Sierra Leone. Again, a country where a significant portion of the population lives below the poverty line.

The dream is, once again, quite enormous, and the attempt to build a 'eco metropolis' appears to be entirely dependent on the generosity and intentions of artists, venture investors, and governments. It is uncertain what the future holds for the small island of Sherbro, as no plans have yet been revealed, although Elba has assured journalists that "the character of the island hopefully will remain intact."

The move is a little concerning because Elba has previously narrated and starred in what can only be defined as a propaganda film for the gold business – an industry that constantly ruins and annihilates entire ecosystems to mine for the precious metal, frequently at the expense of locals.

The majority of gold mining occurs in impoverished countries desperate for cash, where regulations and human safety are ignored. The gold 'documentary' does not address these issues and concerns in a significant way.

Regardless, Elba has stated that the city will take decades to plan and build, which is a lot more realistic vision than the one meant for Akon City, and has not planned any stupid tokenized money to go with it.