1 Rabah Road, in the residence of the late Premier of Northern Nigeria, the house was established in 1970 under the directorship of Professor Abdullahi Smith, who died in 1984 and was succeeded by Dr. Bashir Ikara in 1986.

[9][10] Though under the authority of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Arewa House has an independent board of trustees and governing council.

It was in this respect that the residence of the late premier of the Northern region, Sir Ahmadu Bello Sardauna, was formally approved to serve as an office for this project, with the name "Arewa House".

In 1975, the control of Arewa House was transferred to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria on the orders of the then Federal Government of Nigeria.

Under Smith, a solid foundation was set that made Arewa House a unique place for research and historical documentation in the whole of West Africa.

Arewa House Library has a core collection of books and manuscripts including higher degree dissertations from various universities in Nigeria and abroad.