By Nadia Ntiamoah
President John Dramani Mahama- National Democratic Congress (NDC) government has announced plans to rename Kotoka International Airport (KIA) to Accra International Airport, a move that will be formalized through legislation with Parliament resuming on Tuesday, February 3, 2026 from the Christmas recess.
Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga, speaking at a leadership media briefing ahead of the parliamentary session, confirmed that the Minister for Transport would table a bill to effect the name change.
“We are changing the name of our airport from Kotoka International Airport to Accra International Airport. A bill will be brought by the Minister for Transport for the name to be changed,” he stated.
The proposed renaming follows calls from sections of the public and civil society groups who argue that the current name conflicts with the democratic values.
Kotoka International Airport is named after Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka, a military officer and key figure in the 1966 coup that overthrew the first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
Critics contend that the airport’s name symbolizes a legacy of military intervention that is inconsistent with the country’s democratic ethos.
Ayariga explained that the airport renaming is part of a broader legislative agenda expected in the new session of Parliament.
The Minister for Transport will also introduce the Maritime Offences Bill, the Road Traffic Bill—which seeks to formalize and regulate commercial motorcycle operations (popularly known as Okada)—and the Ghana Shippers Council Regulation Bill.
Parliament is expected to debate all these transport-related bills alongside the airport renaming legislation.
The discussion around renaming KIA, however, has ignited a broader debate about history, memory, and public commemoration.
Observers note that while some advocate for renaming as a moral imperative, others caution against oversimplifying history.
Professor Kwaku Azar, a historian and public commentator, argues that renaming the airport does not resolve historical tensions.
“A nation that is at peace with itself does not spend its time endlessly renaming its landmarks. It spends its time understanding them,” he wrote.
He emphasized that history is complex and cannot be reduced to moral absolutes: “History is not a courtroom where only the innocent deserve to be remembered. It is a record of human struggle, flawed, contested, contradictory, and it demands maturity, not sanitization.”
He pointed out the inconsistency in selectively targeting Kotoka’s name. The1992 Constitution, which underpins the country’s democratic framework, was promulgated under a military regime led by a coup leader.
Yet, the Constitution itself is widely respected and celebrated as a cornerstone of the nation’s governance.
Similarly, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s legacy is memorialized across the country despite his declaration of a one-party state in 1964, which effectively suppressed political pluralism.
Beyond the moral debate, there are practical concerns about renaming a major international airport.
KIA has been in use for more than six decades and is deeply embedded in global aviation systems, treaties, travel itineraries, and branding.
He warn that renaming it could incur significant administrative and financial costs without producing tangible benefits for education, reconciliation, or democracy.
Civil society voices also highlight that place names function as anchors of memory rather than endorsements of specific historical actions.
Just as colonial-era place names such as James Town, Ussher Fort, and Cantonments remain as markers of the past struggles, retaining KIA’s name could serve as a reminder of post-independence challenges and the nation’s journey toward constitutional democracy.
