Why Rawlings, Acheampong and other regimes retained Kotoka Airport name

Historian Kwaku Darko Ankrah of the Institute of African Studies at the University of Ghana has explained why previous governments did not change the name of Kotoka International Airport.

Speaking in an interview with Bernard Avle on Channel One TV’s The Point of View on February 11, 2026, Mr. Ankrah said former Presidents Ignatius Kutu Acheampong, Hilla Limann, and Jerry John Rawlings did not rename the airport for specific reasons.

According to him, Acheampong and Rawlings, both military leaders, retained the airport’s name out of respect for military tradition.
He explained that within the military, fallen officers are honored regardless their differences.

“Though there were calls for the name change during Acheampong’s tenure, he couldn’t change it because he was a military man, and military men respect their fellow military men, irrespective of their differences.

“If an officer falls, he has to be remembered. Rawlings also didn’t change it because he was also a military man,” Mr. Ankrah stated.

He added that although President Limann had the opportunity to effect a change, his administration was short-lived.

“However, it was Limann’s government that had an opportunity to change that; unfortunately, he didn’t have much time in government, and he was also overthrown,” he said.

His remarks follow the government’s announcement on February 3, 2026, that it intends to rename Kotoka International Airport (KIA) as Accra International Airport. The announcement was made during a leadership media briefing ahead of the resumption of the Ninth Parliament.

Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga indicated that the renaming would be effected through legislation to be laid before Parliament by the Minister for Transport.