Welcome to Ahmadu Bello University The Ahmadu Bello University was founded on October 4, 1962 as the University of Northern Nigeria by the then Northern Region government and was taken over as a Federal Institution in 1975. As stated in Part (ii) of its Principal law, the University was created to, among other things, produce high level manpower, secure the diffusion of knowledge, research and community service in Northern Nigeria and Nigeria in general, and to function as a center of excellence.