Accra: The Majority Leader in Parliament, Mahama Ayariga, has announced the government's plans to change the name of Kotoka International Airport. He stated that a bill will soon be laid before Parliament by the Minister of Transport to rename the country's main international airport from Kotoka International Airport to Accra International Airport.
According to Ghana Web, Ayariga made the announcement while addressing journalists ahead of the first sitting of the Second Session of the 9th Parliament on Tuesday, February 3, 2026. He emphasized the importance of legal grounding for such decisions, which should be guided by public opinion.
The proposed renaming follows years of public debate and increasing calls for change. Critics of the current name argue that it honors Lieutenant General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka, a coup leader involved in the overthrow of Ghana's first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. Among the advocates for the change is Samia Yaba Christina Nkrumah, daughter of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, who has repeatedly suggested that the airport should revert to its original name.
Historically, the airport began as a military facility used by the British Royal Air Force during World War II before being transferred to civilian authorities. In 1956, under former President Kwame Nkrumah, a project was initiated to transform the site into a terminal building, completed in 1958, and it was originally named Accra International Airport.
In 1969, the airport was renamed Kotoka International Airport to honor Lieutenant General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka, a member of the National Liberation Council who was killed during a failed coup attempt at the airport's current forecourt.