Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 8 Division Nigerian Army and Commander, Sector 2 Joint Task Force, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, Major General Paul Koughna, has flagged off the Division’s 2026 Inter-Brigade Combat Proficiency Competition in Sokoto State.
The competition is aimed at enhancing the physical fitness, combat readiness, discipline and operational effectiveness of troops amid the prevailing security challenges in the country.
Represented by his Chief of Staff, Brigadier General Ibrahim Gambari, Koughna said the competition would test the resilience, leadership, professional knowledge and operational preparedness of participating troops, while promoting healthy rivalry and esprit de corps among formations.
He stressed that training and retraining remain critical to military professionalism and are in line with the Command philosophy of the Chief of Army Staff. According to him, combat proficiency is a key measure of the Army’s readiness as a fighting force.
Koughna said participants would undergo rigorous assessments in professional military knowledge, leadership, marksmanship and tactical proficiency, with activities designed to push them to their physical and mental limits and prepare them for real-world operations.
He urged the competitors to demonstrate absolute discipline, determination and strict adherence to the rules, while competing in the true spirit of sportsmanship and striving to bring honour to their respective brigades.
Earlier, the Commander, 8 Division Garrison, Brigadier General Isidore Amah, described the competition as a strategic initiative to strengthen the operational capacity of troops. He said it was not merely a contest but a deliberate effort to improve training, resilience, discipline and tactical competence.
Activities lined up for the competition include map reading, swimming, military drills, endurance runs, weapon handling and other tactical exercises designed to evaluate and improve the combat proficiency of troops across formations of the 8 Division.
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