<![CDATA[Background: Climate change (CC) is a threat to humanity due to the rise in global warming as a result of increased concentrations of emitted greenhouse gases (GHGs). Proper GHG emission accounting has been either lacking or grossly uncertain in Nigeria and Africa. Aim: This work addresses this gap by identifying four dominant land uses (LUs) in the agricultural sector to quantify fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) gases using the static chamber technique. Methods: The research was carried out in Northern Guinea Savannah (NGS) during the wet and cold dry seasons of 2025/2026. Cropland (maize/cowpea), plantation (mango), grasscover (Digitaria smutsii) and animal paddock (cattle pen) were selected as treatments and four static chambers were installed in each as observation points. Gas sample collection was performed weekly across wet and dry seasons (WS and DS), using a 10-mL syringe and gas-free pressurized vials. The design involved a Randomized Complete Design using four replications and the collection of four gas samples at 0, 15, 30 and 45 minutes intervals per measurement event. The GHGs were determined using SKY-2000-M infrared gas sensors. Flux calculation was performed in excel where only values with rsq above 0.85 were considered. Q-Q and residual plots were used as data normality checkers before proceeding with statistical analyses. Soil moisture and weather parameters were monitored in-situ to the completion of the experiment. Soil samples were appropriately collected at 0 – 15 cm, processed and analysed following standard protocols to compare the LUs. Datasets were analysed by Analysis of Variance and Least Significant Difference by Agricole function using R 4.4.2. Results: Results indicate that animal paddock and cropland emitted significantly higher CO2-C relative to plantation and grasscover in WS. During the DS, the animal paddock and plantation showed higher CO2-C. Animal paddock consistently emitted the highest N2O-N in both seasons, while grasscover served as a net sink during the DS. Similarly, CH4-C flux varied significantly among the land uses in both seasons, with animal paddock and plantation being the greatest and lowest CH4-C emitters, respectively. Soil characteristics measured were significantly at variance among the LUs. Notably, the soil reaction of all the LUs falls within the slightly acidic (6.53) to near neutral (6.72) pH, except the animal paddock, which was strongly alkaline (8.47). For organic carbon (OC), and total nitrogen (TN) nutrients, the animal paddock recorded the highest: 56.12 and 4.11 g kg – 1, while cropland recorded the lowest: 4.01 and 0.711 g kg – 1, respectively. Results of the available P, K+ and Ca2+ were 12.3, 33.5 and 7.12 folds greater in the animal paddock compared with the cropland, respectively. Conclusion: In NGS Nigeria, the animal paddock is the most prominent emission hotspot with the greatest global warming potential implication compared to other agricultural LUs. The animal paddock has demonstrated excessive nutrient accumulations. Integration of cow dung into organo-mineral fertilizer and research on soil biochemistry are highly recommended.]]>
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