Akon reveals plans for Akon City 2 in Uganda
The Ugandan government has made land available for Akon to construct a new crypto city
Senegalese-American entrepreneur and philanthropist, Akon, announced that there are plans to build a second crypto city in Africa, this time in Uganda.
The first crypto city called Akon City is being built in Senegal and costs around $6billion. Akon has described the city in Senegal as the real life Wakanda due to its technological advancements.
Akon is now looking to expand the city out of Senegal to Uganda. The Ugandan government has given its backing to the new proposed project as Uganda’s Minister of State for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Isaac Musumba, stated in a press conference that the government is willing to find land that is at least one square mile or bigger.
The minister said:
“A place suitable in Uganda that has not-less-than one square mile will be made available to him and his team so he can harness resources and investments, attract investors, manage the project, and have a city.”
The new city will function similarly to Senegal’s Akon City with Akoin taking centre stage. The cryptocurrency is currently being used in Mwale Medical and Technology City (MMTC) in Kenya as its acting as a pilot programme for Akon City before its opening.
Akon was quizzed whether the people in Uganda could afford to live in Akon City. Uganda registered 41% of their population to live under the poverty line but they also have one of the youngest populations in the world that may serve as a potential factor for growth.
“I know if I put it there, they’re going to find a way to afford it because it’s going to motivate them … Ultimately, when you create an opportunity, people grow with that opportunity, people learn with that opportunity, people are motivated with that opportunity.”
However, the end goal for Akon is to unite the whole continent together and develop Africa as a whole, “whatever it takes”.
Akon also amplifies the need to educate people and give the opportunity for individuals to have access to certain information. Therefore, his team plan on flying professionals into Uganda to train the locals.
“We will be having some professionals that we plan to fly into Uganda that can train the locals and I think one of the things that we miss out in major countries is the access of information and we need to be properly trained not only just in construction but also the management of the property and then the maintenance of the properties.”
The new Akon city is scheduled to be ready by 2036 which Akon thinks is a very realistic goal.
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