The government has announced plans to rename Kotoka International Airport as Accra International Airport, a move that is expected to reopen long running national conversations about history, identity, and the symbolism of public infrastructure in Ghana.
The proposal was disclosed by the Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business, Hon. Mahama Ayariga, ahead of Parliament’s resumption on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, with confirmation that a bill will be introduced in Parliament by the Minister for Transport to give the change legal effect.
“We are changing the name of our airport from Kotoka International Airport to Accra International Airport. So, a bill will be brought by the Minister for Transport for the name of the airport to be changed from Kotoka International Airport to Accra International Airport.”
Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business Hon. Mahama Ayariga
According to government sources, the renaming forms part of broader efforts to align key national landmarks with Ghana’s constitutional order and democratic values.
Officials argue that the name Accra International Airport better reflects the civic and national character of the country’s main aviation gateway, rather than commemorating a single individual whose legacy remains contested in public discourse. The proposed change will require parliamentary approval before it can take effect.
Once the bill is laid before the House, Members of Parliament will be expected to debate its merits, historical implications, and public interest considerations. The outcome of that process will determine whether the airport’s name is officially altered in law and practice.
Kotoka International Airport occupies a central place in Ghana’s national life as the country’s busiest airport and its primary point of entry and exit for international travel. Any proposal to rename it has therefore attracted strong public interest and diverse opinions.
Over the years, several civil society groups, historians, and political activists have questioned whether the airport should continue to bear the name of General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka, one of the key figures associated with the 1966 coup that overthrew Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
The latest proposal comes against the backdrop of years of advocacy by groups calling for a name change. Some organisations, including voices linked to the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, have previously argued that the airport should instead be named after Dr Nkrumah in recognition of his role in Ghana’s independence and early nation building.
Others have suggested alternative names drawn from Ghana’s wider historical and diplomatic legacy, including former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan and Asante queen mother Yaa Asantewaa.
Government officials have however opted for a non personal name, choosing Accra International Airport as a designation they believe is neutral, inclusive, and historically grounded.
Supporters of this approach say it avoids reopening divisive debates over which individual deserves national honours, while restoring the airport to a name it once carried at an earlier stage of its history.
Historical records show that the facility was originally developed as a military airport by the British Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Following the end of the war, the site was transferred to civilian authorities.
In 1956, President Kwame Nkrumah initiated a major development project to convert the former military base into a civilian airport terminal. The project was completed in 1958, creating an airport with an initial capacity of about 500,000 passengers per year.
At the time of its completion, the facility was officially named Accra International Airport. It served as Ghana’s main international airport under that name until 1969, when it was renamed Kotoka International Airport in honour of General Kotoka.
That decision has remained controversial, particularly among those who view the events of 1966 as a rupture in Ghana’s democratic and constitutional development.
Beyond its historical symbolism, the airport has undergone significant expansion and modernization in recent years. One of the most notable developments is Terminal 3, a major infrastructure project aimed at positioning Accra as a competitive aviation hub in West Africa.
Construction of Terminal 3 officially began on March 1, 2016, with a sod-cutting ceremony led by President John Dramani Mahama alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The Terminal 3 project, valued at approximately 274 million dollars, was designed to handle up to five million passengers annually, with expansion potential to about 6.5 million.
The terminal is equipped to process about 1,250 passengers per hour and includes three business lounges, extensive retail and commercial spaces, and six boarding bridges. It opened to passengers on September 15, 2018, and was officially inaugurated on October 2 of the same year by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo.
As Parliament prepares to consider the proposed renaming bill, public debate is expected to intensify. Supporters of the change argue that restoring the name Accra International Airport reflects Ghana’s democratic values and respects the sensitivities of history.
Critics, however, may question whether renaming the airport should be a priority amid pressing economic and social challenges. For the government, the proposal is presented as a symbolic but meaningful step in redefining how national spaces reflect Ghana’s identity and constitutional journey.
The coming parliamentary debates will determine whether that vision secures the broad support needed to reshape the name of one of the country’s most prominent landmarks.
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