Historian Kwaku Darko Ankrah of the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, has explained the historical context behind the naming of Ghana’s international airport after the late Lieutenant-General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka.
The government announced on February 3, 2026, plans to rename Kotoka International Airport (KIA) as Accra International Airport. The change, Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga said, will be effected through legislation to be presented by the Minister for Transport, ahead of the resumption of the Ninth Parliament.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s The Point of View on February 11, 2026, Mr Ankrah said the airport was originally named after Kotoka to honour his role in the overthrow of Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
“During the abortive coup, they killed Kotoka in a crossfire. Kotoka’s bullet-ridden body was found at the Airport. In 1957, when Kotoka fell, it became a moment of national mourning because people felt that they had been able to overthrow Nkrumah… They were seen as liberators at the time. Most people became members of the NLC. When the idea came up on how to commemorate the sudden passing of General Kotoka, they thought of doing something to immortalise his memory for overthrowing Nkrumah’s regime,” he explained.
Mr Ankrah’s remarks shed light on the historical significance of Kotoka’s legacy and the reasoning behind the airport bearing his name for decades.
