The Digest:
The Ghanaian government has renamed the country's main international gateway in Accra from Kotoka International Airport to its original name, Accra International Airport. The transport ministry announced the decision on Tuesday, stating it was taken to "restore the facility to its former and internationally recognised name." The implementation will involve systematic updates to official documentation, statutory instruments, airport signage, aviation publications, and digital platforms. The airport's official designation in International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) records has always remained Accra International Airport (ACC). The facility was renamed in 1969 after Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka, a military officer who played a key role in the 1966 coup that overthrew Ghana's first president, Kwame Nkrumah. Kotoka was later killed during a failed coup attempt in 1967 at a site that now serves as the airport's forecourt. The Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park has backed calls for the airport to be renamed after Nkrumah.
Key Points:
- The renaming distances Ghana's main gateway from a coup leader's legacy.
- It reflects a broader reassessment of historical figures tied to undemocratic regime changes.
- National identity aligns with democratic values, while historical reckoning continues.
- This signals Ghana's commitment to honouring founding fathers over coup plotters.
- The timing, with Nkrumah Memorial Park backing, could lead to further change.
Sources: The Cable, Ghana Transport Ministry
