The Kaduna campus took off first, running basic degree programs by former Governor Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi, the then executive governor of Kaduna State and Visitor to the university, appointed Professor Idris Abdulkadir to be the pro-chancellor and chairman of the Governing Council while Professor Abubakar Sani Sambo was appointed the first vice-chancellor.

Subsequently, Professor Ado-Baba Ahmed was appointed as the Acting Vice-Chancellor from 16 September 2016 until 24 January 2017.

Professor Abdullahi Musa Ashafa briefly assumed the role of Acting Vice-Chancellor from 22 June 2022 until the appointment of Prof Abdullahi Ibrahim Musa by Malam Nasir El-Rufai, the Government of Kaduna State as the present Vice-Chancellor on the 19 of October, 2022.

The number 4, 6, 8 and 9 are all acting vice chancellors, pending substantive appointment of a VC by the university's governing council.

Basic and Remedial Studies is a pre-degree training programme aimed at producing well-trained candidates from the university's catchment areas and other Nigerians.

The programme is essentially for candidates who could not gain university admission through JAMB due to low Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) scores.

The duration of the Basic and Remedial Studies programme is nine months which is equivalent to one academic session of intensive teaching by qualified teachers.

For both categories, applicants must write the annual JAMB/UTME with relevant subject combination and must obtain the minimum pass mark approved by the Federal Government.

Science: Candidates for this programme must possess a minimum of 3 credits in not more than 1 sitting in the following subjects: English Language, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Geography.

Candidates admitted for the Remedial programme are expected to register and pass SSCE or NECO in the subjects they are deficient.

In addition to the above requirements, all prospective candidates must register and sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).