This study determined the relationship between achievement motivation and academic performance among science senior secondary schools students in Kano state, Nigeria. The study employed correlational design. The study was also guided by four (4) objectives, four (4) research questions and four (4) hypotheses. The population of the study consisted of 2,665 science senior secondary school students in Kano state. A sample size of 302 was randomly selected based on the recommendation of Krejcie and Morgan. Achievement Motivation Inventory Questionnaire (AMIQ) and Academic Performance Test in Biology (APTB) were used for the study. Percentage, means, standard deviation (SD), Pearson Product Moment Correlation (r) and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were used to answer research questions and test the null hypotheses that were raised in the study. The findings of this study reveal that there is significant relationship between achievement motivation needs and academic performance (r=0.931, p=0.001); between achievement motivation drives and academic performance (r=0.899, p=0.003); and between achievement motivation motives and academic performance (r=0.920, p=0.002). Significant differences exist in the overall achievement motivation between high, moderate and low achievers of the respondents (f=341.943; p=0.000). On the basis of these findings, the following conclusion was deduced: the respondents‘ achievement motivation needs is high, especially most always work very hard to be among the best students in their schools, the achievement motivation drive is high with a cumulative mean agreement of 3.4060 and achievement motivation motives is high especially majority of the respondents‘ like reading biography of great people inorder to learn how they overcome hurdles and achieve in life. On other hand, the following recommendations were made: Students should be well motivated through using needs, drive and a motive motivational means to improve their academic performance. Teachers and educators should focus on needs, drives and motives forms of motivation which will have greater impacts, academic counselors should organize workshop, symposia, public lectures periodically to equipped the students with needed skills to enhance their motivation, school authorities‘ should employ capable and qualified guidance and counselors to guide the children in building their achievement motivation and academic performance as well.