Joseph Bukari Nikpe, the Minister for Transport, has said the renaming of Kotoka international Airport would not impose huge costs on the state.
According to the Transport Minister, the International Civil Aviation Organisation still maintains the country code DGAA, and the International Air Transport Association also kept the ACC code.
Speaking to the media over concerns about potential costs, Joseph Bukari Nikpe stated, “The good news for us is that all these organisations that control aviation in Ghana, since the name change from Accra to Kotoka, have not changed the country code. The International Civil Aviation Organisation still maintains the country code DGAA, and the International Air Transport Association also kept the ACC code.
“So, there is nothing to change at the international level; the only things to change are the signage and the billboards. Even with that, the KIA, as a company, already has vendors who produce its letterheads for it on a daily basis.
“So, it is not a new contract. It is just a matter of Kotoka now being changed to Accra. The same vendors who produce their stamps and letterheads are the same company that now changes them. So, what will be the cost there?” he questioned.
“We are already renovating the airport and redeveloping some parts to make it function properly, so the signage would have been destroyed anyway. The new signage will carry the new name. So, even though there will be some cost, it is not a cost that we should care much about,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Transport Ministry has officially announced that Kotoka International Airport has been officially renamed Accra International Airport.
They assured the public that operations, safety, and international travel would not be affected. Adding that the renaming will, however, involve updating official documents, signage, digital platforms, aviation publications, and communications.
The government has also called on the public, stakeholders, and international partners to cooperate for a smooth transition and thanked all for their support.
On Monday, February 23, 2026, in a press statement, the Transport Ministry stated, “The ministry hereby informs the general public that the Government of Ghana has officially reverted the name of Kotoka International Airport to its original name, Accra International Airport.
“The facility was originally known as Accra International Airport before its redesignation. The government has considered it appropriate to restore the airport to its former and internationally recognised name”, it said.
The statement further added, “This change will not affect airport operations, safety standards, or international travel arrangements. Notably, within the records of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the airport code has remained ‘ACC.’”
“The transition will involve updating official documents, airport signage, digital platforms, aviation publications, and other communication materials”.
However, Renowned legal scholar and governance advocate, Prof Stephen Kwaku Asare, popularly known as Kwaku Azar, has said renaming Kotoka International Airport is costly and unwarranted.
He argued that the Airport’s name is firmly embedded in global aviation systems, international treaties, maps, branding, and digital platforms, which would make any attempt to change it a costly and complex exercise.
According to Kwaku Azar, the names that have endured for more than six decades have survived not one political moment, but military rule, constitutional change, democratic transition, and generational turnover.
He added that each generation has the right to question history, but no generation has the right to treat every inherited symbol as if it were freshly imposed.