Nigeria should remove Murtala Muhammed’s name from its premier international airport. History demands honesty, not sentimentality.
Murtala Muhammed was a coup plotter whose legacy is stained by grave actions, including the mass killing of innocent civilians in Asaba. He was openly anti-democracy, hostile to dissent, and presided over a regime that showed little regard for human life. These are not minor footnotes; they are central to his record.
Why, then, does Nigeria continue to immortalize him?
Supporters often point to his creation of additional states as evidence of achievement. But state creation does not require exceptional genius, nor does it erase the bloodshed and authoritarianism associated with his rule. Administrative restructuring alone cannot justify national veneration.
A country’s most important airport is a symbolic gateway-an introduction to its values, history, and ideals. Naming it after a military ruler with such a controversial and violent legacy sends the wrong message about what Nigeria chooses to honour.
Nigeria must ask itself hard questions: Who deserves national honour? Whose values reflect the future we claim to want-justice, democracy, and respect for life?
If we are serious about confronting our past and redefining our national identity, then renaming Murtala Muhammed International Airport would be a meaningful place to start.
