Former Board Chairman of the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), Paul Adom-Otchere, has revealed that during his tenure, the board considered renaming Kotoka International Airport after former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, citing the value of global branding at international airports.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile programme on Saturday, February 7, Mr Adom-Otchere said the idea arose from internal discussions on how Ghana’s main aviation gateway could project the country’s image internationally.
“I have to make a confession here,” he told the programme. “When I was on the board of the Ghana Airports Company, it occurred to us. We thought about it and said, okay, when you arrive at any airport in the world, the brand you are talking about is very important.”
According to him, while the legacy of Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, remains monumental, the board explored whether another Ghanaian figure with exceptional global recognition could better serve the country’s international branding aspirations.
“Nkrumah is great,” Mr Adom-Otchere said. “But because of all of these things, why don’t we then call the airport Kofi Annan?”
He highlighted Kofi Annan’s unique status as a Ghanaian who achieved global distinction, serving as Secretary-General of the United Nations — a position no other Ghanaian has held.
“Apart from Ghanaian presidents and the heroics of Nkrumah, no Ghanaian has risen to the international level of United Nations Secretary-General,” he noted. “Kofi Annan is the first, so we thought so.”
Mr Adom-Otchere’s remarks come amid renewed national debate over the name of Kotoka International Airport. The discussion was reignited following a parliamentary proposal by the Majority Leader to rename the facility Accra International Airport. Meanwhile, the Minority Leader has raised concerns over General Emmanuel Kotoka’s legacy due to his role in the 1966 coup that overthrew Nkrumah.
The proposal has sparked political disagreement, with supporters framing it as a corrective measure for historical injustices, while critics warn that reopening such debates risks deepening divisions. Other voices have suggested that if the airport were to be renamed, it should honour a prominent Ga traditional leader or personality, citing the indigenous custodianship of the land.
Mr Adom-Otchere disclosed that the Kofi Annan proposal was eventually presented to former President Nana Akufo-Addo but did not gain traction due to competing national priorities.
“We went to Akufo-Addo with it,” he recalled. “He was concerned that, look, you have to build an airport. You haven’t finished Kumasi Airport — when are you finishing? At that time, Sunyani Airport was not operational. We hadn’t done Tamale Airport.”
According to Mr Adom-Otchere, the former President questioned the logic of focusing on renaming the airport while critical infrastructure projects remained incomplete.
“You want to go and change the name of the airport — for what?” he quoted the President as asking. He added that the response left board members both surprised and amused. “We were all bemused, and we laughed about it,” he said.
