In his last days in office, former President Muhammadu Buhari gave his approval for the renaming of fifteen airports in Nigeria as a tribute to influential individuals who have left an indelible mark on the nation.
Also read; Full Text of President Buhari’s Farewell Address to the Nation
The Ministry of Aviation made the announcement on Friday in a statement signed by Odutayo Oluseyi, the Head of Press and Public Affairs.
The new International Airport Onueke Ebonyi State built by the past administration of Dave Umahi and named after former President Muhammadu Buhari, was amongst those renamed by the Buhari administration.
The full list of airports renamed by former President Buhari
Ebonyi International Airport was renamed Chuba Wilberforce Okadigbo International Airport, honoring the memory of the esteemed Chuba Wilberforce Okadigbo.
Chuba Okadigbo was a Nigerian philosopher, academic, writer and political scientist. He served as Senate president of Nigeria from 1999 to 2000.
Okadigbo was a political adviser to Shagari’s government, and was the running mate of Muhammadu Buhari in the 2003 presidential election.
A day after campaigning in Kano State, he died in Abuja due to breathing problems; on September 25, 2003, alleged by many to be from tear gas used during the rally.
Akure International Airport will now bear the name of Olumuyiwa Bernard Aliu. Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu is the Lifetime Goodwill Ambassador of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). He was the fifth President of the ICAO Council, where he served two three-year terms from January 2014 to December 2019.
He previously served as the Representative of Nigeria to ICAO, during which time he was the First Vice-President of the Council and chaired many of the Council’s major committees.
Prior to that, he held various positions and responsibilities with Nigeria and African aviation institutions and has contributed significantly to air transport development in Africa during his 35-year career in aviation.
Benin International Airport was renamed Oba Akinzua II. Omo n’Oba n’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Akenzua II was the Oba of Benin from 1933 until his death in 1978.
Akenzua II was enthroned as Oba of Benin in April 1933 following the death of his father, Eweka II in February that year. Oba Akenzua II was dedicated to the provision of western education for his subjects, the Edo people.
Oba Akenzua II died on June 11, 1978.
Dutse Airport will now be known as Muhammed Nuhu Sanusi International Airport, as a mark of respect for his signficant achievements.
Dr Muhammad Sanusi was appointed the Emir of Dutse by the military administration of the Late Colonel Ibrahim Aliyu in 1995 after the passing away of his father Muhammad Sanusi.
Daily trust reported in 2021 that under his reign, Dutse Emirate metamorphosed from a sleepy town to a prosperous city where not only the economic fortunes of its people have increased remarkably, but also the level of educational and spiritual awareness rekindled.
He died in January 2023, at the age of 78.
Ibadan International Airport was given the name Samuel Ladoke Akintola International Airport.
Samuel Ladoke Akintola was an administrator and politician, premier of the Western Region of Nigeria and an early victim of the January 1966 military coup.
Ilorin International Airport now now bears the name General Tunde Abdullahi Idiagbon International Airport.
Genera Tunde Idiagbon was known as a no-nonesense general, he served as chief of staff at Supreme Headquarters (de facto vice president) under the military regime of Major General Muhammadu Buhari from 1983 to 1985.
On 24 March 1999, Idiagbon died under very suspicious circumstances.
Kaduna International Airport has been renamed Gen. Hassan Usman Katsina International Airport, paying tribute to the late General Hassan Usman Katsina.
Hassan Katsina was a Nigerian Army Major General and son of Usman Nagogo, the Emir of Katsina from 1944 to 1981. He was governor of the Northern Region of Nigeria from 1966 to 1967.
During the Nigerian civil war, he was the Chief of Staff, Army and later became the deputy Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters under the administration of General Yakubu Gowon.
General Katsina died on 24 July 1995 in Kaduna.
Maiduguri International Airport was renamed President Muhammadu Buhari International Airport.
Makurdi International Airport will now be known as Joseph Sarwuan Tarka International Airport.
SenatorJoseph Sarwuan Tarka was a Nigerian politician from Benue State and a former minister for Transport and then Communications under General Yakubu Gowon.
He was one of the founding members of the United Middle Belt Congress, a political organization dedicated to protecting and advocating for the country’s Middle Belt.
He was elected Senator for Benue East in 1979, and was appointed chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriation, a position he held when he died on 30 March 1980, aged 48.
Minna International Airport has been renamed Mallam Abubakar Imam International Airport.
Abubakar Imam O.B.EC.O.N L.L.D (Hon.) N.N.M.C. (1911 – 1981) was a Nigerian writer, journalist and politician from Kagara, Niger in Nigeria. For most of his life, he lived in Zaria, where he was the first Hausa editor of Gaskiya Ta Fi Kwabo, the pioneer Hausa-language Newspaper in Northern Nigeria.
In 1939, together with Robert East and a few others, they started the Gaskiya corporation, a publishing house, which became a successful venture and created a platform for many Northern Nigerian intellectuals.
He was instrumental to the formation of the Northern People’s Congress in 1952.
He died in 1981.
Nasarrawa International Airport has been named Sheikh Usman Danfodio International Airport.
Osubi International Airport in Warri now carries the name Alfred Diete Spiff International Airport.
Alfred Papapreye Diete-Spiff was the first Military Governor of Rivers State, Nigeria after it was created from part of the old Eastern Region, Nigeria.
He held office from May 1967 until July 1975 during the military administration of General Yakubu Gowon. He was also a member of the Supreme Military Council.
In October 2022, a Nigerian national honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) was conferred on him by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Port Harcourt International Airport has been renamed Obafemi Jeremiah Awolowo International Airport.
Yola International Airport will now be known as Lamido Aliyu Mustapha Airport.
Born in 1922, Dr Aliyu Mustapha was turbaned as the 11th Lamido of Adamawa on 26th July 1953; he received the staff of office from Governor Sir Bryan Sherwood-Smith of the British colonial Administration.
The Lamido was instrumental in the transformation of the emirate during the 57 years he was Lamido.
His leadership and record as one among the longest serving emirs in Nigeria, has helped in ushering a new era in Adamawa state and Nigeria as a whole.
He died on 13th March 2010.
Nnamdi Maduakor is a Writer, Investor and Entrepreneur
