Walter Kwame Akude was born Ghana. In 1963 he travelled to the UK as part of a group students selected as an exchange programme between the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), in Kumasi, Ghana, and the Architectural Association (AA), London, the two institutions having entered a contract to work together to develop the architecture programme at KNUST. Akude entered the Third-Year cohort of the AA five-year Diploma course and, as part of his final year’s studies in 1965-66, elected to join the programme of the AA Department of Tropical Studies. Upon graduation, he appears to have gained some experiences with the Architect's Department of the Greater London Council, before returning to Ghana where, together with Samuel Larbi and Francis Kobia-Amanfi, two of his Ghanaian colleagues on the Department of Tropical Studies course, he established 'Kobaku and Associates Chartered Architects' (1973). The practice was to run two branches, one in Accra, led by Akude and Kobia-Amanfi, and another in Kumasi, led by Larbi. The practice developed into one of the most significant Ghanaian firms, with major projects including the Gulf House in Accra and premises in Kumasi for a number of banks, including Barclays, the Bank of Ghana, the Ghana Commercial Bank, and the National Investment Bank.

Sources

• Architectural Association Student Register, 1945-71. AA Archives
• Architectural Association, Registrar’s Office student records, 1960-66. AA Archives
• Architectural Association Diploma Roll, 1966. AA Archives
• Architectural Association Council Minutes, 18th July 1966
• Architectural Association Membership Register, 1969, 1974