Yusuf Maitama Sule University, Kano was founded as North West University in 2012 as a second state university in the state of Kano. The university took its current name in 2017 in honour of Yusuf Maitama Sule, the former politician, representative at the United Nations, holder of several cabinet posts and 1979 presidential candidate.
Students are divided between the city campus in Kano and the main campus on General Buhari Way in the Kofar Ruwa district.
The first four faculties at the university included education, humanities, social and management science and science and have subsequently been joined by basic medical education and clinical science.
The training hospital launched in 2017 and admitted its first medical students in 2020. In 2022 it launched a collaboration with the Republic of Niger and the first cervical cancer screening laboratory in northern Nigeria.
There are diploma and masters programmes in accounting and finance.
Facilities include the university library, campus accommodation, the student union, support and counselling services, a health and wellness centre, ICT suites, sports centre and transport services. The Yusuf Maitama Sule University also provides its students with access to online resources, including e-books and journals, to support their research activities.