Chukwuma Soludo, the Governor of Anambra State in Nigeria, has announced the renaming of the Anambra Cargo Airport to the Chinua Achebe International Airport, in honor of the late renowned Nigerian author Chinua Achebe (Full name; Albert Chinualumogu Achebe). The decision was made as part of the Independence Day celebrations on October 1st, 2023.
In his speech, Mr Soludo said, “Achebe was not a President or Governor or Minister. He did not build bridges, roads or airports. But he will outlive most presidents, governors or ministers.
“Achebe gave African literature an identity and a voice. In a way, he rightly reconstructed and redefined who we are and we will never forget. Indeed, he was not an Anambra hero, nor a Nigerian hero. He was an African and global hero, and yet largely unsung at home.”
Chinua Achebe, who passed away in 2013 is celebrated worldwide for his significant contributions to African literature, particularly his groundbreaking novel “Things Fall Apart” – his first novel published in 1958 and which was translated into a record 50 languages.
Describing the novel, London Guardian in 2007 wrote that Things Fall Apart, “turned the West’s perception of Africa on its head – a perception that until then had been based solely on the views of white colonialists.”
He wrote many other bestsellers including “No Longer at Ease”, “Arrow of God”, “A Man of the People”, “Anthills of the Savannah” among others.
Mr. Achebe also strongly backed his native Biafra, which declared independence from Nigeria in 1967, sparking a civil war that lasted to 1970 in which at least three million people died. That conflict was the subject of a long-awaited memoir he published a year before his death, titled “There Was A Country: A Personal History of Biafra.”
Achebe died at the age of 82 and was buried in his home town of Ogidi in Idemili local government of Anambra State.
Soludo’s renaming of the airport is a fitting tribute to Achebe’s literary legacy and his role in promoting Igbo culture and the African identity through his writings.
The renaming of the airport reflects a broader trend in Nigeria and across Africa, where cultural and historical figures are increasingly being honoured through various means, including naming airports, monuments, and institutions after them. This serves to preserve their memory and acknowledge their impact on the nation and the continent.
Justifying the renaming of the airport, Soludo remarked, “Unfortunately, some people wrongly think of legacies in terms of brick and mortar. Legacy is about the impact on human life and human civilisation”.
“After wide consultations, there is a broad consensus that no one is more deserving to be named after the first airport in Anambra than Anambra’s all-time greatest literary gift to the world, Chinua Achebe”.
The Chinua Achebe International Airport Umueri is expected to serve as a symbol of pride for the people of Anambra and the SouthEast region of Nigeria highlighting the recognition of past heroes, icons and achievers in literature, academia, culture and other disciplines besides those of political figures.
The Anambra airport was built by the immediate past Governor Willie Obiano and opened for flight operation on 7 December 2021, recording an impressive 142 flight operations in the first month alone.
Efforts were made by then Anambra State Executive Council to name the airport after the ex-governor but he declined.
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