The Government has announced plans to construct a museum at the Kumasi International Airport in honour of Nana Prempeh I, the 13th occupant of the golden stool. This museum will serve as a tribute to Nana Prempeh I's legacy and will showcase artefacts, relics, and other historical objects related to the Sagranti War, as well as items documenting the capture and subsequent exile of Nana Prempeh from the Asante Kingdom.
Mr. Simon Osei Mensah, the Ashanti Regional Minister, disclosed this information during a tour to inspect ongoing works at the airport. He explained that the decision to name the airport after Nana Prempeh I was influenced by the king's historical connection to the airport's location. It is known from historical records that Nana Prempeh I resided in a brick building in the area where the airport now stands before his capture by British soldiers and subsequent exile in 1900.
Despite the fact that the building was intended to house the king, it remained unoccupied as Nana Prempeh I was captured by the British before its completion. Mr Osei Mensah emphasized that regardless of these circumstances, the decision was made to honour Nana Prempeh I by naming the second-largest international airport in the country after him.
During the 2024 State of the Nation Address to parliament, President Akufo-Addo officially announced the decision to name the Kumasi International Airport after Nana Prempeh I. Notably, Nana Prempeh I, originally enthroned under the stool name Nana Kwaku Dua III Asamu, was destooled in November 1885 and surrendered to the British Gold Coast governor on January 20, 1896. He endured exile in Sierra Leone and Seychelles in 1900 until his release on September 12, 1924. He was subsequently restored as Kumasihene on November 12, 1926, and passed away in 1931.