Senegal has officially cancelled music star Akon’s $6 billion plan to build a futuristic city. The government says the project has made little progress and will now be replaced with a new $1.2 billion tourism resort.

Back in 2020, Akon was given 136 acres of land to build what he called “Akon City.” His idea was to turn the quiet village of Mbodiène, located by the Atlantic Ocean, into a modern smart city filled with new technology and futuristic buildings.

But in August last year, the government gave Akon a final warning. They asked him to start building or risk losing the land. This warning came after Akon failed to make certain payments to Sapco, the government agency managing the land.

Now, most of the land has been taken back by the government. According to Bloomberg, very little construction work was done, and officials have now confirmed the project is cancelled. The head of Sapco, Serigne Mamadou Mboup, told local reporters that “the project no longer exists.”

Instead, Senegal has new plans for the land. Sapco will now lead a $1.2 billion project to turn the area into a major tourist destination. This project will not be as big as Akon’s original plan but is expected to bring real development.

The government says it hopes to get 600 billion CFA francs from private investors. The remaining 65 billion CFA francs will come from public funds to support the project.

Akon won’t be completely removed from the plan. He will still keep 8 hectares of land where he may build something smaller than his original idea.

Even though this new plan is smaller, the government says it will still help local communities. The first stage of the new project is expected to create about 15,000 jobs, helping the economy in Mbodiène and nearby towns.