[3] It was founded in 1970 as the University of Benin (French: Université du Bénin) and adopted its current name in 2001.

[4][5] In May 2011, the government of Togo ordered the indefinite closure of University of Lomé after students started riots demanding better conditions and food.

The head of the institution, Koffi Ahadzi Nonon, stated that the students were upset that the university had introduced a new academic system called LMD (translated as bachelor, master, doctorate)[citation needed] for which the students were unprepared.

[3] On 26 May 2011, the Embassy of the United States in Lomé, Togo, issued a warden message to U.S. citizens in Togo to avoid the university campus area until the riots had ceased and stating that tear gas may have been used on 25 May, against the demonstrators.

[7] On 8 July, students and government representatives signed a formal agreement allowing current students to continue on the classic academic system or switch to the LMD system at their option and which stated that the government would invest 2.4 billion CFA francs (roughly US$4,800,000) into the construction of new lectures halls and versatile teaching blocks at the University of Lomé and the University of Kara.