President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ratified the redesignation of some federal airports, giving them names of after prominent Nigerians including the immediate past President, Mohammadu Buhari and Chief Obafemi Awolowo among others.
The renaming of the airports was announced in a memo released by the Federal Ministry of Aviation dated June 1, 2023, and signed by Mrs Joke Olatunji for the Director of Airport Operations. The announcement was formally made on Monday.
The statement noted that the President renamed the airports “as part of reforms of the Aviation sector”.
The Maiduguri Airport was renamed after Muhammadu Buhari and the Port Harcourt Airport after the late nationalist Obafemi Awolowo, while the Nasarawa Airport immortalised the late founder of the Sokoto Caliphate, Usman Dan Fodio.
Also, the Benin Airport was renamed after the late Oba of Benin, Oba Akenzua II, Ebonyi Airport after the late Senate President Chuba Okadigbo, and the Ibadan Airport after the late Premier of the old Western Region, Ladoke Akintola.
In addition, the Akure Airport was named Olumuyiwa Bernard Aliu; Dutse Airport, Muhammad Nuhu Sanusi; Gombe Airport, Brigadier Zakari Maimalari; Ilorin Airport, Gen. Tunde Idiagbon; Kaduna Airport, Hassan Usman Katsina; Makurdi Airport, Joseph Sarwuan Tarka; Minna Airport, Mallam Abubakar Imam; Osubi Airport, Alfred Diete Spiff; and Yola Airport after Lamido Aliyu Mustapha.