The idea of establishing a State University for Taraba State was muted in 2004 when Rev. Jolly T. Nyame was State Governor, Feasibility studies were conducted but the proposal was never implemented. It was on 14th June 2007 when Pharm. Danbaba Danfillani Suntai, State Governor, set up a Technical Committee on the Establishment of Taraba State University.

Membership of the Technical Committee on the Establishment of Taraba State University was composed of:

i. Dr. Michael P. Noku – Chairman

University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri

ii. Dr. Abbas Bashir – Member

Federal University of Technology, Yola

iii. Dr. Yakubu Haruna Aiyara – Member

Federal University of Technology, Yola

iv.Dr. Anthony D. Barau – Member

Federal University of Technology, Owerri

v. Dr. Catherine Ashasim – Member

Gombe State University, Gombe

vi. Dr. Bakari Aliyu – Member

College of Agriculture, Jalingo

vii. Mohammed Garba – Member

College of Education, Jalingo

viii. Mrs. Naomi Ibrahim Jauro – Member

Taraba State Ministry of Education

ix. Mr. Helkia Bubajoda Mafindi – Member/Secretary

College of Education, Jalingo

The Technical Committee Report was submitted on 2nd October 2007. The report was accepted by the government and on 24 January 2008, the Taraba State University was established by Law No. 4 of 2008, passed by the Taraba State House of Assembly. The Executive Governor of Taraba State, His Excellency, Pharm. Danbaba Danfulani Suntai accented to the Law on 28 January 2008.

The Taraba State University commenced academic activities in the 2008/2009 academic session with over 582 students registered at the school of General and Preliminary Studies. Full-time undergraduate programs commenced in the 2009/2010 academic session with over 40 academic staff and 476 students, registered in eighteen departments.

The University has witnessed significant growth since 2008. At the beginning of the 2011/2012 academic session, the academic staff strength was over 100 while undergraduate enrolment was about 2300.

The pioneer Vice-Chancellor was Dr. Ahmed Usman Jalingo who served from 2008 to 2010. Dr. Jalingo died in March 2011 and was replaced by Prof. Michael Noku who served as Acting Vice-Chancellor until January 2012, when Prof. Mohammed Sani Yahaya took over as the second substantive Vice-Chancellor. Dr Cathrine Musa Ashasim took over as Acting Vice-Chancellor in October 2016
to 28th February 2017. The current Vice-Chancellor is Professor Vincent Ado Tenebe and he took over on 1st March 2017.