Ghana’s Parliament is set to debate a bill seeking to rename Kotoka International Airport (KIA) as Accra International Airport, a move the government says is intended to recognise the residents of Accra whose lands were acquired for the construction of the country’s main international gateway.
The Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business, Mahama Ayariga, disclosed plans to lay the proposed legislation before Parliament during the current session, explaining that the Airport Bill seeks to restore the airport’s original name.
Speaking to journalists during a parliamentary leadership media briefing on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, the Bawku Central MP argued that the current name does not adequately reflect the sacrifices made by the original landowners.
“It is not fair to the people of Accra. They gave their land for the airport, it was named after their city, and then it was changed to another name, even though the land did not come from there,” Mr. Ayariga stated.
According to him, the Minister for Transport will formally present the bill to Parliament to seek approval for the proposed name change during the ongoing eight-week parliamentary session.
The airport, which opened in 1958, was originally named Accra International Airport. In 1969, it was renamed Kotoka International Airport in honour of Lieutenant General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka, a member of the National Liberation Council (NLC), who was killed near the airport during an abortive coup attempt on April 17, 1967.
Mr. Ayariga described the proposed renaming as a step toward correcting what he termed a historical wrong, stressing that the intention was not to diminish the legacy of Lt. Gen. Kotoka.
“This has nothing to do with his personality. I do not see a reason why an airport should not be named after him. The point is that when you remove a name that reflected where the land came from and replace it with another, it creates a cycle where names can be changed again in the future,” he explained.
He added that the primary objective of the bill is to acknowledge the people of Accra who sacrificed their lands for the development of the capital city and its critical infrastructure.
Kotoka International Airport handled a record 3.1 million passengers in 2023 and remains Ghana’s only international airport, making the naming debate one of significant national interest.
The issue has long generated public discussion, with critics arguing that a facility developed during the era of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah should not bear the name of a figure associated with the 1966 coup that overthrew his government.
Parliament’s consideration of the bill is expected to reignite national debate on history, heritage, and recognition in Ghana’s public spaces.
