Mr Steven Odarteifio, a concerned citizen, has appealed to the Government to rename Kotoka International Airport after Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first President.
He said Ghana’s national symbols should reflect the country’s founding values rather than its history of military overthrow.
Mr Odarteifio made the call at a press conference to outline reasons for the proposed renaming of the airport.
He said 2026 would mark 60 years since the 1966 coup that overthrew Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first President.
Mr Odarteifio explained that the country’s main international airport was named after Lt. General E. K. Kotoka following his death during a failed counter-coup in 1967, a decision he described as inconsistent with Ghana’s democratic and independence ideals.
He said the airport was Ghana’s “front door” to the world, noting that millions of travellers encountered the name “Kotoka” repeatedly on tickets, boarding passes, airport screens and flight announcements, thereby projecting the memory of a coup rather than the spirit of independence and nation-building.
This, he said, contradicted Ghana’s identity, particularly as many visitors were attracted to the country by Dr Nkrumah’s legacy and Ghana’s role in Africa’s independence struggle.
Mr Odarteifio emphasised that while the history of Kotoka and the National Liberation Council could be taught and debated in schools, museums and books, the nation’s principal gateway should symbolise unity, pride and constitutional governance.
He argued that beyond his military career, Kotoka was not widely associated with major national development achievements.
Mr Odarteifio cited the removal of Kotoka’s statue from the airport forecourt in October 2000 during the final months of former President Jerry John Rawlings’ administration, and its non-reinstatement under subsequent governments, as evidence that the airport’s name could also be reconsidered.
Drawing comparisons with other African countries, he said major airports across the continent were named after founding leaders whose legacies united their nations.
He cited Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Kenya, Julius Nyerere International Airport in Tanzania, and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Nigeria.
Mr Odarteifio argued that Dr Nkrumah, Africa’s globally recognised independence icon and the BBC’s “African of the Millennium,” was the most fitting symbol for Ghana’s international gateway.
He appealed to Parliament, the Judiciary, traditional and religious leaders, and civil society organisations to support the renaming process, and commended groups and individuals who had lawfully drawn national attention to the issue.
Mr Odarteifio also appealed to the President to consider the renaming of the airport as an opportunity to resolve a long-standing national contradiction and to leave a lasting legacy at a significant historical moment.
He said Ghana could not fully honour its founding father until the contradiction was addressed.
“A settled national conscience is vital for unity, clarity of purpose, and sustainable national development,” he added.
