The government has proposed a renaming of Kotoka International Airport (KIA) to Accra International Airport.

The announcement was made on February 3 by Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga during a parliamentary leadership briefing, noting that the Minister for Transport, Joseph Nikpe will present a bill in Parliament to legally effect the name change.

The proposed name change is intended to honour the Ga people, reclaim Ghana’s historical identity, and reflect democratic values instead of glorifying a coup leader, Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka, a military officer who played a central role in the 1966 coup d’état that overthrew Ghana’s first president, Dr Kwame Nkrumah.

He explained that the airport was originally called Accra International Airport, but its name was later changed.

“It is not fair to the people of Accra that they gave out their land for the construction of an airport that was named after them, and the one who received the land changed it and named it with his name,” he said.

“To honour the people who gave the land, government is going back to using it,” he added.

A bill to formalise the change will be introduced in Parliament by the Transport Minister.

“Government intends to rename Kotoka International Airport to Accra International Airport,” the Majority Leader said, noting that the bill would be presented in line with established procedures.

However, some members of the Minority Caucus in Parliament, including its leader, Afenyo-Markin. Speaking during a media engagement yesterday, February 3, he defended the current name of the airport and criticised the decision to rename it.

On his part, the name “Kotoka” is among the very few names on national monuments, such as the airport, that celebrate the heroism of Voltarians; therefore, renaming it would deny the people of the Volta Region the recognition they deserve.

He said, “All these years, we’ve had General Kotoka’s name on the airport, and suddenly it’s being changed. The name Kotoka International Airport, Accra, is already there, so you don’t need to remove Kotoka’s name.

“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 added that successive governments had retained the name and accused current NDC leaders from the Volta Region of remaining silent on the issue.

He described the move as an indictment of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and urged key figures within the party, particularly those from the Volta Region, to oppose the proposal.

“Majority Chief Whip Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, NDC General Secretary Fifi Kwetey, Foreign Affairs Minister Okudzeto Ablakwa, First Deputy Speaker Bernard Ahiafor, they’re from Volta, they’re in government and are watching Volta lose its pride. It’s up to them,” he said.

In February last year, the Democracy Hub, in partnership with the Convention People’s Party (CPP), took legal action at the Supreme Court to push for a change in the name of Ghana’s international airport, Kotoka.

They asserted that associating the facility with Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka goes against the country’s democratic values, as he was instrumental in the 1966 government takeover.

“For 59 years, Ghana has lived with the contradiction of denouncing coups while honouring one of the architects of the first military overthrow of an elected government,” the group stated.

The CPP and advocacy group Democracy Hub contended that the continued use of Kotoka’s name for the country’s main airport represents an official approval of military takeovers. They argue that renaming the facility would reinforce Ghana’s dedication to democratic governance.

“It is time for Ghana to make a clear statement that it stands against unconstitutional rule, not just in rhetoric but in practice,” the statement added.

This court case, initiated with the support of legal professionals from Merton & Everett LLP, follows in-depth historical and legal examinations.

Democracy Hub appealed to civic organizations, youth movements, and champions of democracy to endorse the lawsuit, describing it as “more than a legal battle—this is about confronting our history.”

Lieutenant General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka (26 September 1926 – 17 April 1967) played a key role in the National Liberation Council, the military administration that ousted Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s government through a coup on 24 February 1966.

Prominent among those calling for the airport’s name to be changed back is Samia Yaba Christina Nkrumah, daughter of Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah. She has repeatedly suggested that the facility should return to its original name, Accra International Airport.

The airport originally served as a military base for the British Royal Air Force during World War II before being handed over to civilian authorities. In 1956, under President Kwame Nkrumah, a project was launched to convert the site into a passenger terminal.

The project was completed in 1958, transforming the former military installation into a civilian airport capable of handling about 500,000 passengers a year. It was initially called Accra International Airport.

However, in 1969, the airport was renamed Kotoka International Airport in honor of Lieutenant General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka (1926–1967), a member of the National Liberation Council who was killed during a failed coup attempt at what is now the airport’s forecourt.