[1][2] President Mobutu Sese Seko decided to rename the Boulevard Léopold II, a major road connecting N'djili Airport to the city centre, to Boulevard Lumumba in 1966, a year after taking over power.

The foundation stone for the tower was laid by Julius Nyerere, then the president of Tanzania,[3] on November 24, 1967, while construction began in 1969.

The design for the tower was by French-Tunisian architect Olivier-Clément Cacoub and construction to be done by a Yugoslav company.

Additional construction work around the base and the square began in 2010 under the presidency of Joseph Kabila, by adding an amusement park, fountains and a performing arts venue at a cost of US$11 million.

The tower also hosts the Museum of Contemporary and Multimedia Arts which has collections of Congolese artists and sculptors.