The government is renaming Kotoka to Accra International Airport in gratitude of those who gave up their land for the airport
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A bill to rename Kotoka International Airport as Accra International Airport, which the government claims is intended to honour locals whose land was seized for the facility’s construction, is scheduled to be discussed in Parliament.
The proposed Airport Bill intends to restore the airport’s original name, saying that the current name does not reflect the sacrifices made by the people of Accra, according to Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga, who revealed plans to introduce the bill before Parliament this session.
According to Mr. Ayariga, the Transport Minister would introduce the bill in order to get legislative approval for the suggested modification.
During a press event for parliamentary leadership today, Tuesday [February 3, 2026], Mr. Ayariga told reporters that it was unjust for the airport to have a name unrelated to the original landowners.
“It is not fair to the people of Accra. They gave their land for the airport, it was named after their city, and then it was changed to another name, even though the land did not come from there,” he stated.
When it first opened in 1958, the airport was called Accra International Airport. In 1969, the airport was renamed Kotoka International Airport in remembrance of Lieutenant General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka, a National Liberation Council (NLC) member who was murdered there on April 17, 1967, during a failed coup attempt.
According to Mr. Ayariga, the suggested modification would correct what he called a historical injustice.
“We are going back to using Accra as the name of the airport in recognition of the people who gave up their land,” he declared.
He emphasised that Lieutenant General Kotoka’s legacy was not intended to be questioned or erased by the proposal.
“This has nothing to do with his personality. I do not see a reason why an airport should not be named after him. The point is that when you remove a name that reflected where the land came from and replace it with another, it creates a cycle where names can be changed again in the future,” he explained.
Mr. Ayariga went on to say that the goal was to honour the Accra residents who gave up their land to build the nation’s capital.
During the current eight-week session, the Minister of Transport is anticipated to present the Bill to Parliament.
Kotoka International Airport is still the only international airport in the nation, handling a record 3.1 million passengers in 2023.
The airport’s name has long been a topic of public discussion. Some detractors contend that a facility built under Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s leadership shouldn’t be named after a person connected to the 1966 coup.
Source: newsthemegh.com
