"[3] Umaru Musa Yar'adua, then the executive governor of Katsina State and later the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, began the work of creating the university before his death in 2010.

The law establishing the Katsina State University was passed by the Katsina State House of Assembly on 5 September 2006, and the University commenced academic activities in January 2007 with three faculties (Education, Humanities, and Natural and Applied Sciences), and 16 undergraduate programmes.

The State House of Assembly passed a law changing the name of the university to honor Umaru Musa Yar'adua on 8 April 2009.

Significantly, it was intended to act as a hub for the state's socioeconomic and political development by producing high-caliber human resources and research products, among other things.

Among its Heads of Department are Ma'aruf Nuhu Batagarawa, Mani Ahmad, Sunusi Mamman, C. C. Okam, Yahaya Aliyu Sa'idu Kankara, Talatu Ibrahim Umar.