Template:Infobox Prime Minister An haifi Abubakar Tafawa Balewa a watan Disambar shekarar 1912 a jihar Bauchi a wancan zamanin, a yankin Arewacin Najeriya . Mahaifin Balewa, Yakubu Dan Zala, dan asalin Gere ne, kuma mahaifiyarsa Fatima Inna yar Gere ce kuma asalin Fulani ce. Mahaifinsa yana aiki a gidan hakimin Lere, gundumar cikin masarautar Bauchi . Balewa ya fara karatunsa ne a makarantar Alkur’ani da ke Bauchi; lokacin da masu mulkin mallaka na kudu suka fara yunƙurin ilimantar da mutanen yankin Arewa, Balewa yana cikin yaran da aka tura makarantar Elementary ta Tafawa Balewa, bayan kammala karatun Alqur’ani. Daga nan ya wuce Makarantar Lardin Bauchi. Kamar sauran mutanen zamaninsa, ya yi karatu a Kwalejin Barewa wadda a lokacin ake kira Katsina College, inda ya kasance dalibi mai lamba 145. Ahmadu Rabah, wanda daga baya aka fi sani da Ahmadu Bello, dalibi ne mai lamba 87, kuma yana da shekara biyu a sama, yayin da Abubakar Imam ke gabansa shekara guda. Kwalejin dai na da tazarar kilomita da dama daga Bauchi kuma ba ta kusa da tashar jirgin kasa ko kuma zirga-zirgar jama'a.