The Untold Story: Why Yaa Asantewaa Was Not Named After Ghana’s Main Airport

A compelling historical narrative suggests that Ghana’s Kotoka International Airport was originally intended to be named after the legendary Ashanti Queen Mother, Yaa Asantewaa. According to historian Yaw Anokye Frimpong, this plan, championed by Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, was blocked by opposition from certain Ashanti sub-chiefs on political grounds. This article delves into this claim, exploring the fusion of Pan-African ambition, Ashanti royalty, and post-colonial identity that shaped one of Ghana’s most prominent infrastructural names.

Introduction: A Naming Controversy Rooted in History

The ongoing public debate about renaming Kotoka International Airport (KIA) has reignited interest in its original naming history. While current discussions often focus on the legacy of Lt. General Emmanuel Kotoka, a key figure in the 1966 coup against Nkrumah, a lesser-known story points to a much earlier and symbolically different proposal. The central question is: Why wasn’t Ghana’s primary international gateway named after Yaa Asantewaa, the iconic warrior queen? The answer, as recounted by a private legal practitioner and historian, lies in the complex interplay between Nkrumah’s visionary ideals and the political sensitivities of the Ashanti traditional council in the mid-1950s. This account transforms the airport from a mere transportation hub into a canvas for Ghana’s post-colonial identity struggles.

Key Points: Unpacking the Historical Claim

• Original Proposal: Dr. Kwame Nkrumah intended to name the new international airport after Yaa Asantewaa, the Ashanti Queen Mother who led the 1900 War of the Golden Stool against British colonialism.
• Philosophical Motivation: Nkrumah’s decision was influenced by his mentor, Dr. James Kwegyir Aggrey’s famous dictum: “If you educate a man, you educate an individual; if you educate a woman, you educate a nation.” Nkrumah sought to honour female leadership and national heritage.
• Consultation and Objection: Nkrumah discussed the plan with the Asantehene (King of Ashanti), Otumfuo Osei Agyeman Prempeh II, who reportedly supported it. However, a meeting of Ashanti sub-chiefs rejected the idea, citing political allegiance to Nkrumah’s Convention People’s Party (CPP) and a desire to disassociate a royal figure from a partisan leader.
• Alternative Naming: Following the rejection, Nkrumah named it “Accra International Airport,” deliberately avoiding his own name to symbolize a collective national asset. It was later renamed Kotoka International Airport after the 1966 coup.
• Modern Relevance: This historical episode provides crucial context for contemporary calls to rename the airport, highlighting that the naming has always been a politically and culturally charged act.

Background: The Icons and the Ideology

Yaa Asantewaa: The Symbol of Ashanti Resistance

To understand the weight of the proposed naming, one must grasp Yaa Asantewaa’s stature. In 1900, following the British exile of the Asantehene and other chiefs, Yaa Asantewaa, then Queen Mother of Ejisu, famously rallied the Ashanti Confederacy with the words, “If you, the men of Ashanti, will not go forward, then we will… I shall call upon my fellow women.” She led the “War of the Golden Stool,” a final, fierce attempt to protect the sacred Golden Stool—the ultimate symbol of Ashanti nationhood and spirit—from British seizure. Though the Ashanti forces were militarily defeated, the Golden Stool was never captured. This act of defiant courage made her an enduring symbol of anti-colonial resistance, female leadership, and cultural preservation across Ghana and the African diaspora.

Kwame Nkrumah: The Pan-African Visionary

Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s independence leader and first president, was driven by a grand vision: to make Ghana the “Black star” of African liberation and a beacon of Pan-Africanism. His projects were never merely functional; they were symbolic. The construction of the Accra International Airport (completed around 1957) was part of this grand design. It was built not just for domestic travel but as a “gateway to Africa,” intended to host dignitaries, freedom fighters, and world leaders. This aligns with his simultaneous construction of the Ambassador Hotel for international guests. For Nkrumah, naming was a powerful tool of statecraft, meant to project Ghana’s historical greatness and ideological orientation to the world.

The Ashanti Kingdom and the CPP: A Tense Relationship

The political backdrop is critical. Nkrumah’s Convention People’s Party (CPP) had a notoriously fraught relationship with the Ashanti traditional establishment and the opposition United Party (UP), which had strong Ashanti backing. The Ashanti region was a bastion of anti-CPP sentiment. The Asantehene at the time, Prempeh II, had been restored to his stool by the British in 1935 after a 30-year exile—a historical trauma that deeply informed Ashanti politics. Navigating this delicate relationship was a constant challenge for Nkrumah’s central government.

Analysis: The Fate of a Symbolic Proposal

The historian’s account provides a granular look at how high-level symbolic projects can be derailed by regional political dynamics.

The Nkrumah-Aggrey Connection and the “Educated Woman” Ideal

Nkrumah’s desire to name the airport after a woman was not arbitrary. It stemmed directly from the teachings of Dr. James Kwegyir Aggrey, the renowned educator and intellectual whom Nkrumah revered. Aggrey’s philosophy placed the education and empowerment of women at the heart of national development. By selecting Yaa Asantewaa, Nkrumah was making a triple statement: honouring Ashanti history, promoting gender equality in national symbolism, and grounding Ghana’s modern identity in a pre-colonial, powerful female figure. This was a masterstroke of post-colonial narrative-building.

The Royal Consultation and the Sub-Chiefs’ Veto

The narrative details a crucial sequence: Nkrumah first secured the blessing of the Asantehene, Prempeh II. This was a politically astute move, seeking endorsement from the highest traditional authority. However, the historian claims that when Nkrumah’s proposal was presented to a broader council of Ashanti sub-chiefs, it was rejected on explicitly partisan grounds. The reported rejection—”Kwame Nkrumah is a CPP person… It will not be our royal, Yaa Asantewaa”—reveals a deep-seated resistance to having a paramount Ashanti royal symbol co-opted by the ruling party. For these chiefs, Yaa Asantewaa was an Ashanti icon first, and they refused to allow her name to be used to glorify a political opponent. This illustrates the tension between national-level symbolism and regional/ethnic cultural guardianship.

The Symbolic Choice of “Accra International Airport”

Nkrumah’s subsequent decision to name the facility “Accra International Airport” is itself highly significant. By choosing a geographic, non-personal name, he avoided several pitfalls: he did not name it after himself (rejecting the cult of personality), he did not force a controversial royal name, and he placed the airport within the nascent national geography rather than a single ethnic or political group. It was a neutral, forward-looking, and inclusive choice. This act underscores Nkrumah’s political pragmatism even amidst grand vision. The later renaming to Kotoka International Airport in 1969 (after the coup leader) represents a complete ideological reversal, burying Nkrumah’s original Pan-African and gender-conscious vision under a military-political legacy.

Practical Advice: How to Research and Verify Historical Claims

Stories like this are vital for public history but require careful verification. Here is a methodological approach for researchers, students, and engaged citizens:

1. Identify the Primary Source: In this case, the primary source is the televised interview with historian Yaw Anokye Frimpong on JoyNews’ “Upfront” program. Seek the original video recording (published February 4, 2026, per the article) or its official transcript. Watch for nuance, hedging language (“he stated,” “according to him”), and contextual cues.
2. Corroborate with Archival Records: Consult the Ghana National Archives, the Kwame Nkrumah Papers at the University of Ghana, or the records of the Ashanti Regional House of Chiefs. Look for minutes of meetings, correspondence, or official gazettes from 1956-1957 regarding the airport’s naming.
3. Cross-Reference with Secondary Scholarship: Examine biographies of Nkrumah (e.g., by David Birmingham, June Milne), historical works on Ashanti politics (e.g., by T.C. McCaskie), and studies on Ghanaian nationalism. Does this event appear in peer-reviewed literature? Its absence does not mean it’s false, but it suggests it may be an oral history or anecdote not yet widely documented in academic texts.
4. Analyze the Narrator’s Perspective: Yaw Anokye Frimpong is a private legal practitioner and historian. Understand his potential biases or areas of expertise. Is he known for researching Ashanti history or Nkrumah’s era? His profession as a lawyer might influence his focus on procedural and political “blocking” actions.
5. Contextualize Within Known History: The account fits the known patterns: Nkrumah’s use of symbolism, his admiration for Aggrey, the Ashanti-CPP rivalry, and the sacred status of Yaa Asantewaa. The claim is plausible and enriches the understanding of these broader dynamics, even if a single, definitive “smoking gun” document remains elusive.
6. Distinguish Fact from Interpretation: Separate the core factual claim (chiefs objected) from the historian’s interpretation (the objection was solely political/CPP-related). The chiefs may have had other unstated cultural or traditional protocol concerns.

FAQ: Addressing Common Questions

Q1: Is this story historically proven?

A: The story is presented as a historical account by a specific researcher, Yaw Anokye Frimpong, based on his study and sources. It is not a universally established fact found in all standard history textbooks. As with many nuanced historical events, especially involving private meetings and traditional councils, definitive, publicly accessible archival proof may be limited. Its strength lies in its coherence with the well-documented political tensions of the era and Nkrumah’s known symbolic thinking. It should be considered a credible and important historical narrative that requires further scholarly engagement and verification.

Q2: Were all Ashanti chiefs against the naming?

A: According to the account, the proposal had the support of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Agyeman Prempeh II. The opposition is specified as coming from “some Ashanti sub-chiefs” during a meeting. This suggests a division within the Ashanti traditional authority itself, likely along political lines (pro-CPP vs. anti-CPP factions) or perhaps concerns about the propriety of naming a national monument after a royal figure. It was not a unanimous Ashanti rejection.

Q3: What is the legal process for renaming an airport in Ghana?

A: Renaming a major national asset like an international airport typically involves a combination of executive authority and legislative action. The President, as the head of state and government, can propose a renaming, often through a statutory instrument or a directive to the responsible ministry (Ministry of Transport). However, for a name with profound historical and cultural weight like Kotoka International Airport, a formal process likely involves consultations with the family of the current namesake (Lt. Gen. Kotoka), traditional authorities (like the Ashanti Kingdom if proposing Yaa Asantewaa), and possibly a resolution from Parliament to give it a enduring legal basis. The current debate would need to navigate these institutional and traditional protocols.

Q4: Does this history change the current debate about renaming the airport?

A: Absolutely. It adds a profound layer of historical irony. The current movement to rename KIA away from Kotoka (linked to the coup against Nkrumah) is inadvertently reviving Nkrumah’s *original, rejected* vision to name it after a pre-colonial heroine. This history frames the debate not as a new idea, but as the belated fulfilment of a foundational post-independence symbolic project that was thwarted by the very political divisions that later led to Nkrumah’s overthrow. It connects the 1950s, 1960s, and 2020s in a single narrative about Ghana’s struggle to define its heroes.

Conclusion: Names as Battlefields of Memory

The story of Yaa Asantewaa’s near-nomination for Ghana’s main airport is far more than a historical footnote. It is a case study in how national symbols are contested terrain. Dr. Kwame Nkrumah sought to embed Pan-Africanism, female empowerment, and pre-colonial pride into the very name of the nation’s front door. This vision collided with the political realities of Ashanti-CPP relations and the protective instincts of traditional leaders over their sacred icons. The outcome—”Accra International Airport”—was a neutral compromise that reflected a moment of political constraint.

Today, as Ghanaians debate the airport’s name, this history offers a powerful lesson. It reveals that the choice is not merely between “Kotoka” and a new name, but between different visions of Ghana’s past: one centred on a military-political figure from the 1960s, and another rooted in the timeless resistance and leadership of a 19th-century queen mother, championed by the architect of independence himself. The chiefs’ “block” in the 1950s postponed this symbolic reconciliation. The current debate asks whether the time has finally come to complete Nkrumah’s original, unfulfilled intention.