The Executive Governor of Anambra State His Excellency Charles Chukwuma Soludo on 1st October 2023 during the Nigeria Independence Day Celebration renamed the Anambra International Cargo Airport to Chinua Achebe International Cargo and Passengers Airport.
Chinua Achebe was an excellent and award-winning writer that used his writing skills to talk about what was happening in society during his time. His first published novel “Things Fall Apart” demonstrated the rich culture of Igbos before the coming of British Colonial Masters.
The former Governor of Anambra State and Labour Party Presidential candidate Mr. Peter Obi praised the decision of Gov. Soludo for recognizing the notable writer Chinua Achebe and other heroes.
Obi said ” The renaming of the Anambra International Cargo and Passenger Airport to Chinua Achebe International Airport, is a most delightful and welcome development. The late literary icon deserves all the honour that the state and the nation can bestow.
Chinua Achebe’s towering stature as a global literary pioneer and icon is deserving of such recognition. I congratulate the Achebe Family for the bestowed honour and Kudos to the Governor of Anambra State, HE Prof. Charles Soludo, for the timely and fitting decision, which is consistent with extant best practices. This latest gesture is in line with the practice of the state government naming our public institutions after our heroes and outstanding citizens.
Examples include the public arena named after the former Vice President, Alex Ekwueme Square; the Chukwuemeka Odumegu Ojukwu University, the State Library named after Prof. Kenneth Dike and the science block at CKC Onitsha named the Prof. Chike Obi Building.
The latest gesture is also consistent with Achebe’s exhortation that we must, of necessity, tell our own stories. By telling his own story so well, Achebe also told the Anambra and Nigerian stories, hence this most befitting memorial”
