Activist lauds gov’t for reverting KIA name to Accra International Airport

By Kingsley Webora TANKEH

The petitioner for Kotoka International Airport’s (KIA) name change, Steven Nhyira Odarteifio, has lauded President John Mahama’s administration for acting on his petition following confirmation of the name-change by the Ministry of Transport in a press statement on Monday, February 23, 2026.

According to a press statement, Government has officially renamed the country’s premiere airport, Kotoka International Airport (KIA), to Accra International Airport – effective Monday, February 23, 2026.

The name-change was formalised on the eve of the 60th anniversary of the 1966 coup that ousted Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s government.

In a press statement issued the same day, the Ministry of Transport officially announced that the airport’s name honouring the late Lieutenant General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka – a key figure in the 1966 military overthrow – has been reverted to it’s original name, Accra International Airport.

Mr. Odarteifio said the decision is a moral rectification that runs parallel to the country’s development agenda.

“A country can build roads, airports, ports and factories and still choose to correct what it honours at its front door,” Mr. Odarteifio stated.

“This moment will be remembered as a legacy decision – because it signals that Ghana’s democracy is mature enough to hear its people, reflect and act.”

The Ministry of Transport issued a directive instructing the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) and Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) to initiate the logistical transition to accommodate the change.

According to the statement, the renaming applies to all airport branding, signage and official documentation in an effort to align the facility with other major international airports that bear the names of their host cities.

The move comes just over a month after activists petitioned authorities and held a press conference to demand the name-change. The activism, led by  Steven Nhyira Odarteifio, mustered public attention and reignited a long-standing national debate about the airport’s name.

Mr. Odarteifio acknowledged the coalition of voices that have advocated this change over the years – including the daughter of Ghana’s first president Samia Nkrumah  and civil society organisations like The Democracy Hub.

Now, the GACL and GCAA are tasked with coordinating an update of all physical and digital infrastructure. This includes air traffic control systems, flight information displays, airline scheduling databases and international aviation registries.

However, the decision has drawn both praise and scrutiny from politicians, civil society and industry stakeholders alike.
While supporters celebrate it as a long-overdue correction of a historical symbol linked to the overthrow of Nkrumah, critics argue that government should prioritise economic challenges over symbolic gestures.

Others have also raised concerns about the potential costs associated with rebranding the airport, though government has yet to release the financial cost this exercise is going to bring the taxpayer.

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