Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a vital role in Nigeria's economy, and the sustainability of this sector and customer retention are important for their success majorly in Ondo state, one of the 36 states in Nigeria, which has its unique economic landscape and opportunities. Providing customers with access to high-quality, cheap goods and services to ensure retention of customers. Despite the contribution of SMEs in developed and developing countries, the performance of the sector has been on decline in customer retention. Studies revealed that many SMEs have not adequately incorporated value creation activities in their operations. The study identified the effect of value creation on customer retention of small and medium-sized enterprises in Ondo State, South-West Nigeria. A survey research design was adopted for this study and primary data were sourced using a well-structured and self-administered questionnaire. The population for the study contains 308 small and medium-sized enterprises in Ondo State South-West Nigeria. The purposive sampling techniques were adopted in selecting samples from the population for the benefit of the study. Data was collected using a valid and reliable questionnaire with a Cronbach alpha value greater than 0.7. Data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The results revealed that value creation had a significant effect on customer retention of small and medium-sized enterprises in Ondo State, South-West Nigeria (Adj. R2 = 0.229, F (4, 297) = 23.306, p < 0.05). The study concluded that value creation had a significant effect on customer retention of small and medium-sized enterprises in Ondo State, South-West Nigeria. The paper recommended that the management of these SMEs should adopt proactive marketing strategies and reward programs in other to enhance performance.