Abstract Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) play a pivotal role in the economic landscape of Ogun State, Nigeria. However, there is a dearth of research on how EO influences the performance of SMEs in this region. This study aims to fill this gap by examining the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and the performance of SMEs in Ogun State, Nigeria. The study adopted a survey design. The population of study consisted of the total number of registered SMEs in the region as of 2021, which was 31,739. Taro Yamane was used to determine the sample size of 395. Simple random sampling technique was employed to select the respondents from the sample size. An adapted and validated questionnaire was used and data was collected using a valid and reliable questionnaire with a Cronbach alpha value greater than 0.7. The response rate was 88.3%. Data were analysed using both descriptive and inferential tools. Findings revealed that entrepreneurial orientation have a significant effect on performance of SMEs, in Ogun state, Nigeria (R= 0.352, Adjusted R2 = 0.114, F-statisics (df = 4,371) = 13.094, P = 0.000). The study recommended that while small and medium enterprises should prioritize on Proactiveness, emphasis on Innovation, should be reduced as critical factors affecting the sales growth, Productivity and profitability of SMEs but engage further investigation to identify other measures that have greater capacity in influencing the performance of small and medium enterprises. Keywords: Entrepreneurial Orientation, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Performance, Innovation, Proactiveness.