Kwara State University, Malete, has announced the discontinuation of its Top Up and Higher National Diploma Conversion programme beginning from the 2025/2026 academic session, following regulatory directives from the National Universities Commission.

The decision was made public in a statement signed by the university's Registrar, Kikelomo Sallee, on Monday, with the institution citing full compliance with NUC regulations as the basis for the action.

"This is to inform the public that Kwara State University, Malete, will discontinue its Top Up/HND Conversion programme from the 2025/2026 academic session. This discontinuation complies with the regulations of the National Universities Commission, the regulatory body for all universities in Nigeria," the statement read.

The university confirmed that the NUC would subsequently issue directives regarding the status of students already enrolled in the programme.

"The NUC will also give directives on the status of students already enrolled on the programme in KWASU in due course," the statement added. "Kwara State University, Malete, is firmly committed to ethical standards and abides by all the policies of the regulatory body."

The programme had provided HND holders and polytechnic graduates a pathway to convert their qualifications to a bachelor's degree, a route that gained popularity among graduates seeking to bridge the longstanding gap between HND and university degree holders in employment and career advancement.

KWASU is not alone in implementing the change. AlHikmah University, a private institution, also announced the immediate discontinuation of admissions into its Top Up Degree Programmes in line with the same NUC directive, adding that future admissions into its undergraduate programmes would be conducted strictly through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board. The management also cautioned the public against individuals or groups claiming to offer admissions outside approved channels.

The development at KWASU comes weeks after the institution secured full accreditation for nine undergraduate programmes during the NUC accreditation exercise held in October and November 2025. The accreditation status, communicated in a letter dated April 7, 2026, covers Accounting, Banking and Finance, Business Administration, Environmental Health Science, English, Linguistics, Performing Arts, Computer Science and Microbiology, and is valid for three years.

Reacting to the accreditation outcome, the Vice Chancellor, Prof Shaykh Luqman Jimoh, described it as a reflection of collective commitment to academic excellence.

"The successful reaccreditation of the nine programmes points to the commitment of all stakeholders to sustain the excellent education provided by the institution," Jimoh stated.