The announced plan by the government to rename Ghana's main gateway to the world, the Kotoka International Airport (KIA), to Accra International Airport (AIA), has divided public opinion.

The move comes after calls by a section of the public who have claimed that naming the airport after General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka is an insult to Ghana's first president, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, who built the airport.

They argue further that keeping the airport’s name is denigrating to the memory of Kwame Nkrumah because Kotoka was the person who masterminded the military takeover of 1966.

These views, however, are not held by the entire public, as some of them have argued that the renaming is needless.

In this GhanaWeb article, we look at some notable personalities who have opposed the renaming of the Kotoka International Airport and the reasons they have given.

FLASHBACK: Why Kotoka was killed by his colleague coup leaders

Franklin Cudjoe:

The Founding President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, is one of the notable personalities who have opposed the renaming of the Kotoka International Airport to Accra International Airport.

In a post shared on social media on February 4, 2026, Franklin Cudjoe questioned the relevance of the proposal to rename the airport.

He asked whether the renaming would make the cost of travel cheaper for Ghanaians.

"Will the change in the name of the airport lead to a reduction in the price of air tickets? NDC, stop copying the ineffective habits of the last guys!" he wrote.

Kwaku Azar :

Renowned legal scholar Professor Kwaku Asare, popularly known as Kwaku Azar, has warned that the government's plan to rename Kotoka International Airport (KIA) to Accra International Airport risks erasing important lessons from Ghana's history.

In a post shared on Facebook on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, Kwaku Azar said that for over 60 years, the name of the airport has symbolised the country's political turbulence, coups and unrest, noting that the debate over renaming it has been oversimplified.

"The appeal of the simplistic claim that the airport's name exists to celebrate the 1966 coup rests on an incomplete reading of history. The renaming of KIA was not intended to glorify the overthrow of Kwame Nkrumah," he wrote.

He explained that the 1969 renaming of KIA was not meant to glorify the 1966 coup but to honour Lieutenant General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka, who was killed during Operation Guitar Boy in 1967, while resisting a counter-coup.

"The airport was renamed to mark the site of Kotoka's death, not to glorify military intervention in politics. It records a moment of national turmoil rather than endorsing it — an act of remembrance, not celebration," Kwaku Azar said.

The untold story of how Nkrumah almost named Kotoka Airport after Yaa Asantewaa

Afenyo-Markin:

The Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Effutu, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, has also opposed the move, describing it as an indictment of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), particularly leaders from the Volta Region.

According to him, the airport's current name represents one of the few national recognitions linked to the Volta Region. He said that changing the name of the airport would deprive the region of a significant symbol of national honour.

"How many prominent Voltarians have their names on national assets or monuments? This is the only thing the people of Volta can also see as something that recognises heroism from the Volta Region, and they're being denied," he stated.

The Minority Leader specifically urged Majority Chief Whip Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, NDC General Secretary Fifi Kwetey, Foreign Affairs Minister Okudzeto Ablakwa, and First Deputy Speaker Bernard Ahiafor to publicly oppose the proposed change.

"They're from Volta, they're in government and are watching Volta lose its pride. It's up to them," Mr Afenyo-Markin said.

Kennedy Osei Nyarko:

The Ranking Member on Parliament's Roads and Transportation Committee and Member of Parliament for Akyem Swedru, Kennedy Osei Nyarko, has also strongly criticised the government's plan to rename Kotoka International Airport (KIA).

Questioning the relevance and economic impact of the proposed change, the lawmaker argued that the move is unnecessary and risks politicising a national asset that has served the country for decades.

"What will be the relevance and the economic impact of this exercise in changing the name of KIA?" he asked in a Facebook post on February 3, 2026.

Osei Nyarko, who is also the Member of Parliament for Akyem Swedru, noted that the airport has retained its name through different political eras, including periods of military rule, without any attempts to alter it.

"A name that has been with us even under military rule. Not even Chairman Rawlings made any attempts at renaming the airport," he stated.

He accused the government of excessive politicisation and warned against actions that could undermine national cohesion.

BAI

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