The Anambra International Cargo and Passenger Airport has been renamed after the late Chinua Achebe, a novelist, to immortalise him for making an indelible mark on the history of human civilisation.

Governor Chukwuma Soludo announced the renaming on Sunday during the Independence Day parade to mark Nigeria’s 63rd anniversary. He described Achebe as an example of Africa’s unsung hero.

Soludo said that Achebe was not just an Anambra hero nor a Nigerian hero, but an African and global hero and yet largely unsung at home. He said that henceforth, the state shall be deliberate in fishing out and celebrating its largely unsung heroes as motivation to children and youths.

“Unfortunately, some people wrongly think of legacies in terms of brick and mortar. Legacy is about impact on human life and human civilisation,” Soludo said.

“Achebe was not a president or governor or military. He did not build bridges or roads or airports but he will outlive most presidents, governors and ministers in our minds. Achebe rejected Nigeria’s national honours twice in protest against what he perceived as injustice to his home state Anambra. Today, Anambra will finally honour him.”

Soludo urged Nigerians to be intentional about making the project Nigeria work and believe in the potential greatness of the country.

“We have muddled through the past 63 years with squandered opportunities and yet with the promise of potential greatness. No country or nation is perfect. Every nation continues to struggle in its match to a more perfect union. The path to stability, growth and sustainability will be challenging as there are no quick fixes,” he said.

“But all of us must collectively think and work Nigeria out of the current challenges. We have no other country but Nigeria, and we must make it work for everyone.”

The governor said his administration was founded on the true progressive agenda and would continue to create the enabling environment for residents to thrive and survive.