The Role of Urban Green Spaces in Improving Air Quality in Abuja Municipal Area Council

Urban vegetation provides critical ecosystem services including air pollution mitigation, yet the contribution of urban green spaces to improving air quality in Nigeria's rapidly expanding capital has received limited empirical attention. This study evaluates the role of urban green spaces in improving air quality in Abuja Municipal Area Council by examining spatial associations between vegetation cover and particulate matter concentrations. Particulate matter measurements at PM2.5 and PM10 fractions were collected using portable air quality monitors at 40 monitoring points distributed across high-vegetation, medium-vegetation, and low-vegetation urban zones over a four-month monitoring period. Land cover data derived from high-resolution imagery were used to compute green cover fractions for each monitoring zone. Meteorological variables including wind speed, temperature, and humidity were recorded concurrently to control for confounding influences. Statistical analysis using multiple regression reveals a significant negative relationship between green cover fraction and PM2.5 concentrations, with each 10 percent increase in canopy cover associated with a 6.3 micrograms per cubic metre reduction in average PM2.5. Parks with mixed-species tree canopies outperform grass-dominated open spaces in pollution reduction performance. Traffic proximity emerges as the dominant positive predictor of particulate concentrations. Recommendations advocate for strategic tree planting along high-traffic corridors, protection of existing mature tree canopies, and integration of air quality co-benefits into Abuja's urban greening masterplan. Keywords: urban green spaces, air quality, particulate matter, Abuja, vegetation cover.