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Kotoka International Airport: The War Runway That Became West Africa’s Gateway

If you’ve ever arrived at Kotoka International Airport, you know the drill. You’re tired, you’re hot, and you just want to get outside and smell the Accra air.

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The immigration line is long. Your luggage may or may not have made it. And somewhere behind the glass, someone is stamping passports with a pace that suggests they have all the time in the world. If you’ve ever arrived at Kotoka International Airport, you know the drill. You’re tired, you’re hot, and you just want to get outside and smell the Accra air.

But here’s something to think about while you wait.

The ground beneath your feet wasn’t always polished terminal floors and duty-free shops. Back in the 1940s, this was a military operation. British forces needed a strategic position during World War II, and Accra’s location made perfect sense. So they built an airfield. Not for tourists or business travelers. For warplanes.

Fast forward to the 1950s. The war ends, the world changes, and air travel starts becoming a thing. That military runway slowly transforms. By 1956, just before Ghana gained independence, the airport underwent a serious upgrade and a name change: Accra International Airport. Suddenly, Ghana isn’t just watching the world from afar. It’s connected to it.

Then comes 1969. The airport gets renamed again, this time to honour Lieutenant General Emmanuel Kotoka, a figure from Ghana’s early political years. His story has layers, like most history does, but the name stuck. And so did the airport’s importance.

Today, Kotoka moves millions of people. Families returning for Christmas. Business travelers chasing opportunities. Strangers are coming to see what this country is about. The military runway is long gone, buried under decades of expansion and development. But it’s still there underneath, part of the foundation.

Read Also: Cantonments: Why Accra’s Posh Neighbourhood Still Carries a Soldier’s Name

So next time you’re waiting at baggage claim or sitting in departure lounge traffic, remember this. You’re not just passing through another airport. You’re standing where warplanes once parked. You’re walking through a piece of the story.

Welcome back. Or welcome for the first time. Either way, the ground you’re on has seen things.

Sights and Sounds

Trade Accra’s Traffic for Treetops at Legon Botanical Gardens

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A few minutes can make all the difference in Accra. One moment you’re surrounded by busy roads and constant movement; the next, you’re gliding across a lake, cycling beneath tall trees, or stepping onto a canopy walk high above the ground.

That contrast is what makes Legon Botanical Gardens one of the city’s most rewarding outdoor escapes.

Located beside the University of Ghana in Legon, the gardens have evolved into more than a traditional botanical park.

They offer a rare combination of adventure and quiet reflection, making the space appealing to families, couples, solo travellers and groups of friends looking to experience a different side of Ghana’s capital.

Visitors who enjoy active days can rent bicycles and explore the network of cycling trails that wind through the grounds.

The adventure continues with rope courses and the popular canopy walk, where elevated pathways provide a fresh perspective of the gardens’ lush surroundings.

Those seeking a slower pace will find plenty to enjoy as well. The lake creates a peaceful setting for canoeing or a relaxing fishing session, offering a welcome break from the city’s fast rhythm.

It’s this balance of excitement and calm that gives the gardens their broad appeal, allowing visitors of different ages and interests to share the same space without feeling rushed.

With entry fees starting from GHS 15—while activities are priced separately—the gardens offer an accessible day out for many visitors.

For travellers eager to explore even more of Ghana’s green spaces, the Aburi Botanical Gardens, about an hour’s drive from Accra, provide another scenic option.

But for those staying in the capital, Legon Botanical Gardens proves that sometimes the best getaway is closer than expected.

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Sights and Sounds

Speed Meets Sunshine: Inside Bortianor’s Go-Kart Playground Near Kokrobite

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The first thing you notice at House Party Go-Karts is the sound—a burst of laughter followed by the whine of engines cutting through the afternoon air.

Tucked away in Bortianor, just off Accra’s Kokrobite Beach Road, this outdoor entertainment hub has become the kind of place where a friendly race can quickly turn into an unforgettable day out.

For visitors exploring Ghana beyond the city’s museums and markets, House Party Go-Karts offers a different side of Accra: one built around recreation, music, and shared experiences.

The venue gained an extra dose of pop-culture appeal after appearing in Kuami Eugene’s hit “Angela” music video, giving fans another reason to recognise its colourful setting.

The main attraction is the outdoor go-kart track, designed for everyone from first-time drivers to competitive racers eager to shave seconds off their lap times.

The experience is fast-paced without feeling intimidating, making it a popular choice for families, couples, and groups of friends.

Away from the track, the entertainment continues. An indoor arcade blends classic and modern games, while the on-site restaurant offers a relaxed space to recharge with local and international dishes after the adrenaline rush.

Open daily from 12:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., the venue is well positioned for an afternoon adventure that can stretch into the evening.

Better still, its location near Bojo Beach makes it easy to combine a seaside escape with a few laps around the circuit.

With weekday sessions starting at GH¢80 and weekend sessions at GH¢100, House Party Go-Karts proves that some of Accra’s best memories are made not by standing still, but by chasing the next corner.

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How 1,300 Books Became One of Africa’s Most Important Literary Spaces

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Every remarkable library begins with a single book. The Library of Africa and the African Diaspora (LOATAD) began with 1,300 of them—all from one woman’s personal collection.

When Sylvia Arthur founded LOATAD in Accra in 2017, she was not simply opening another library.

She was creating a home for stories that too often sit on the margins of mainstream bookshelves: works by African writers and voices from the global African diaspora.

Built from books Arthur collected over five years, LOATAD has grown into one of Ghana’s most distinctive cultural spaces. It reflects a simple but powerful idea: that access to African literature should not be an exception, but an everyday experience.

In a city where creative communities continue to shape conversations about identity, history, and belonging, LOATAD functions as more than a reading room. It has become a meeting place where readers, writers, artists, and researchers gather around shared narratives. The shelves invite visitors to move across continents and generations, tracing connections between Ghana, the Caribbean, Europe, and the Americas through literature.

The library’s significance extends beyond its carefully curated collection. It challenges long-standing assumptions about whose stories deserve preservation and whose histories deserve space on the shelf. By centering African and diasporic voices, LOATAD helps bridge historical distances created by migration, colonialism, and displacement.

For international visitors, the library offers an intimate introduction to contemporary Ghana’s literary landscape. For local readers, it provides something equally valuable—a place where African stories are not treated as a special category, but as the foundation of the collection itself.

What began as one person’s bookshelf has become a lasting cultural landmark, proving that libraries can preserve not only books, but belonging.

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