The university is named after Nigeria's first and only prime minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.

The motto of the university is "Doctrina Mater Artium", which means "Education is the mother of the practical arts".

The curriculum adopted was applied in nature, as suited a technologically based institution, and this theme was maintained in all the units of the university.

[2] The virtual library has more than 50 computers that are Internet networked with KOHA as its software use for day-to-day operation.

the university library purchase and subscribe databases for free access to HINARI, AGTORA and ESBCOHOST etc.