This study investigated the integration of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education - Lifelong Learning) within higher education institutions in Kwara State, Nigeria. In the global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development context, universities are key agents in advancing inclusive, equitable, and quality education. The study specifically explored students’ awareness of lifelong learning, the extent to which it is reflected in curriculum content, prevailing institutional practices, student involvement, and the challenges and prospects of lifelong learning integration. Five research questions and one null hypothesis guided the study. The target population comprised undergraduate and postgraduate students in public universities across Kwara State, from which 577 respondents were selected from a population of 10,590 using Taro Yamane’s (1967) formula at a 5% margin of error. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire with reliability coefficients of 0.82 and 0.78, respectively. Descriptive statistics using the median were used to answer the research questions, while Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to test the null hypothesis. Findings revealed that students’ awareness of lifelong learning was low (grand median = 2.00); curriculum inclusion was high (grand median = 3.00); institutional practices and student involvement were inadequate; and significant challenges, including inadequate funding, infrastructure deficits, and the digital divide, constrain effective integration. Curriculum Learning (CL) had the strongest and only statistically significant influence on Prospects (β = 0.162, p = 0.029), while the model explained 8.5% of the variance in prospects (R² = 0.085). Based on the findings, it was recommended that institutions should prioritise curriculum integration of lifelong learning principles, organise regular awareness campaigns, and increase budget allocations for SDG 4 implementation.