TheCable

The federal government has named 15 airports across the country after some prominent Nigerians, including former President Muhammadu Buhari and the late Tunde Idiagbon.

Idiagbon, a general, was the chief of staff supreme headquarters (second-in-command) when Buhari was the military head of state from 1983 to 1985.

In a memo dated June 19, Joke Olatunji, director of airport operations of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), said the naming of the airports is part of government reforms of the aviation sector.

The airports in Maiduguri, Borno, and Oyo, Ibadan, were named after Buhari, and the late Samuel Ladoke Akintola, the premier of the defunct western region.

“I am directed to refer to a memo with reference FMA/T464/7090/T7B/647 dated June 1st 2023 from the federal ministry of aviation on the renaming of some federal airports after notable Nigerians,” the memon reads.

“Please kindly be informed that the under-listed have been renamed by the president as part of reforms of the aviation sector.”

Here is the full list of the airports that have been renamed:

• Akure Airport – Olumuyiwa Bernard Aliu
• Benin Airport – Oba Akenzua II
• Dutse Airport – Muhammad Nuhu Sanusi
• Ebonyi Airport – Chuba W. Okadigbo
• Gombe Airport – Brigadier Zakari Maimalari
• Ibadan Airport – Samuel Ladoke Akintola
• Ilorin Airport – General Tunde Idiagbon
• Kaduna Airport – Hassan Usman Katsina
• Maiduguri Airport – Mumammadu Buhari
• Makurdi Airport – Joseph Sarwuan Tarka
• Minna Airport – Mallam Abubakar Imam
• Nasarawa Airport – Sheikh Usman Dan Fodio
• Osubi Airport – Alfred Diete Spiff
• Port Harcourt Airport – Obafemi Awolowo
• Yola Airport – Lamido Aliyu Mustapha