A siege of herons flies unperturbed above the futuristic curvature of an oddly solitary white concrete building in Mbodiène, a coastal village in Senegal.
The plans were first unveiled five years ago by the US-Senegalese R&B singer Akon, and the first phase of construction was supposed to be completed by the end of 2023, but the project has been riddled with delays and controversy.
Since childhood, Jean Charles Édouard Sarr, a 55-year-old maintenance engineer and self-confessed cryptocurrency aficionado, has visited his ancestral village of Mbodiène, where his mother is buried.
For Mbodiène’s 53-year-old village chief, Michel Diome, who has met Akon several times, the project could be a goldmine for the local economy, which has been damaged by a decline in the fishing industry.
The scheme initially had backing from Senegal’s outgoing president, Macky Sall, and the Society for the Development and Promotion of Coasts and Tourist Zones (Sapco), which loaned the singer $2m for the project.
Extolled for its pristine beaches and surfing spots, the land near Mbodiène earmarked for Akon City was ceded to the Senegalese state in 2009 for future tourism development by Sapco.
The original article contains 955 words, the summary contains 187 words. Saved 80%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
This is the best summary I could come up with:
A siege of herons flies unperturbed above the futuristic curvature of an oddly solitary white concrete building in Mbodiène, a coastal village in Senegal.
The plans were first unveiled five years ago by the US-Senegalese R&B singer Akon, and the first phase of construction was supposed to be completed by the end of 2023, but the project has been riddled with delays and controversy.
Since childhood, Jean Charles Édouard Sarr, a 55-year-old maintenance engineer and self-confessed cryptocurrency aficionado, has visited his ancestral village of Mbodiène, where his mother is buried.
For Mbodiène’s 53-year-old village chief, Michel Diome, who has met Akon several times, the project could be a goldmine for the local economy, which has been damaged by a decline in the fishing industry.
The scheme initially had backing from Senegal’s outgoing president, Macky Sall, and the Society for the Development and Promotion of Coasts and Tourist Zones (Sapco), which loaned the singer $2m for the project.
Extolled for its pristine beaches and surfing spots, the land near Mbodiène earmarked for Akon City was ceded to the Senegalese state in 2009 for future tourism development by Sapco.
The original article contains 955 words, the summary contains 187 words. Saved 80%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!