Soludo renames Anambra Airport after Chinua Achebe

The Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, on Sunday renamed the state’s International Passenger and Cargo Airport after the late novelist, Prof. Chinua Achebe.

Achebe, a native of Ogidi in Idemili North local government area of the state, died on March 21, 2013, in the United States.

Soludo, who announced this at the Independence Day parade to mark Nigeria’s 63rd anniversary, described Achebe as Africa’s unsung hero.

He said: “Achebe, a Nigerian novelist, poet, and critic, gave the African literature an identity and a voice and he rightly reconstructed and refined the identity of the people.

“Achebe was not a president or governor or military leader. He did not build bridges or roads or airports but he will outlive most presidents, governors, and ministers in our minds.

READ ALSO: Ex-South African President to deliver lecture in celebration of Achebe’s ‘Things Fall Apart’ @60

“Achebe rejected Nigeria’s national honours twice in protest against what he perceived as an injustice to his home state Anambra. Today, Anambra will finally honour him.

“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.

“Consequently, we will rename the Anambra International Cargo and Passenger Airport, Umueri, to Chinua Achebe International Airport, Umueri.

“Yes, it has to be an international airport, and we hope to work with the Federal Government to give full effect to its international.”

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now