[1][2] The university was established in 1988, following the recommendations of a 1987 federal government White Paper on Higher Education curriculum and development in Nigeria.

[3] The vice-chancellor is Professor Isaac Itodo ,[4] and the chancellor is the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari CFR.

[5] On 14 July 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari approved a bill renaming it the Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University.

Institutional links are being forged with federal and state Ministries of Agriculture and other related agencies to identify areas of collaboration and technical support from the University.

The university has been involved with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in research on the socio-economic aspects of soybean production.