Idris Elba shares 'big dreams' to build futuristic eco-city in Sierra Leone and ... trends now
Idris Elba has revealed plans to transform a remote island off the coast of Sierra Leone, where his father was born, into an eco-friendly 'smart city'.
The British star said he wants to make Sherbro Island an 'afro-dynamic eco-city' - an urban hub for the whole of Africa combining sustainability, community and economic growth.
Sherbro Alliance Partners (SAP) say the development will be done while protecting its 'delicate ecosystem', with the 230 sq mile island covered with mangrove forests and an important nesting site for sea turtles.
Home to just 40,000 people, most of whom work in fishing and rice farming, the actor and DJ hopes to cultivate economic growth and bring prosperity to the former British colony.
The development scheme has not got a specified budget but is likely to run into the billions of dollars, with SAP seeking out investment and Mr Elba admitting that it is a 'big dream'.
The development scheme has not got a specified budget but is likely to run into the billions of dollars (artists impression)
The British star said he wants to make Sherbro Island an 'afro-dynamic eco-city'. Pictured here with his wife Sabrina Dhowre Elba
Most of the island's 40,000 inhabitants live in Bonthe. Picture shows run-down buildings in the area
'Never in my lifetime would I have thought I could build the foundation for a new smart-city… I'm not qualified for that,' he told the BBC. 'But I am qualified to dream big.'
What began as a mission to bring tourism to the island, which boasts stunning white beaches and palm trees, soon became a more innovative plan to develop the area in a more sustainable way.
'It's about being self-reliant, it's about bringing an economy that feeds itself and has growth potential. I'm very keen to reframe the way Africa is viewed… as an aid model.
'This opportunity is completely different.'
The Luther actor was brought into the project by childhood friend Siaka Stevens, the grandson of Sierra Leone's former president of the same name, who he grew up with in London.
Stevens had been looking for development opportunities in his
