Journal of Entrepreneurship Education Volume 21, Issue 4, 2018 1 1528-2651-21-4-208 ROLE OF LEARNING ORIENTATION ON SMEs’ PERFORMANCE: EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM SMEs IN NIGERIA ADEGBUYI Abimbola Abidemi, Covenant University ADEGBUYI Omotayo Adeniyi, Covenant University OGUNNAIKE Olalekan Oluseye, Covenant University IBIDUNNI Ayodotun Stephen, Covenant University FADEYI Olatunji Idowu, Covenant University ABSTRACT This study set out to investigate the role of learning orientation and SMEs’ performance. A descriptive research design was adopted to gather information from registered SMEs as captured by Corporate Affairs Commission in Nigeria. The data gathered were sourced via the administration of structured questionnaire to 436 owner-managers of SMEs. The study employed the use of standard multiple regression analysis to test the hypothesis. The results from statistical analysis indicates that Among the diverse dimensions of learning orientation that were adopted for this study, the greatest and most significant influence came from new strategy, innovative products and new knowledge sharing. Consequently, the research results points to the fact that SMEs operators and managers should focus on continuous learning that emphasizes the capability of the firm and its members to understand and adapt to the competitions in its chosen product-market through dynamic strategies that can achieve and sustain their firms’ competitive position. Keywords: Learning Orientation, SMEs’ Performance, SMEs, Strategic Management, Strategic Orientation. INTRODUCTION The rate at which customer’s tastes and preferences are changing calls for attention, compelling firms to be up to date by learning and having new knowledge to produce new products and services for them to meet up with new market and change in customers’ preferences (Jerez-Gómez, 2015). Therefore it has become apparent for firms to become learning organization especially with advancement in technology and stiff competition (Calantone et al., 2003; Osabuohien & Efobi, 2012). Thomas et al. (1995) buttressed that learning organisations are firms in which their employees are continuously exposed to knowledge expansion that is, creating, acquiring and transferring knowledge that facilitates firms’ ability to adapt to changes compared to their competitors. This is concerned with the improvement on knowledge or insights that have the potential to affect change in an organization that enhances firm performance (Baron, 2008; Ibidunni et al., 2017). In the SMEs sector of Nigeria, the need to investigate the role of learning orientation on performance of these firms has become a critical path to ply. This is because the rate of impeded growth of most SMEs’, the underperformance of many others and yet the incapacity of some to advance over time into becoming large firms (Abiodun & Ibidunni, 2014), calls for research attention into the need to examine a learning orientation as a means to