Guards Brigade begins combat proficiency competition

The Guards Brigade Nigerian Army has commenced its 2026 Combat Proficiency Competition, with 7 Guards Battalion emerging winner of the opening obstacle-crossing event.

The Guards Brigade Nigerian Army on Monday commenced its 2026 Combat Proficiency Competition, urging participating troops to uphold professionalism, discipline and high operational standards. The competition commenced at the Brigade’s Obstacle Course, Lungi Barracks, Abuja, with 7 Guards Battalion emerging winner of the opening obstacle-crossing event. 176 Battalion and Guards Brigade Garrison emerged second and third respectively in the keenly contested event.

Declaring the competition open, Maj.-Gen. Ifeanyi Otu, Director, Policy, Planning and Research, Defence Space Administration (DSA), said sustained combat training was critical to enhancing operational readiness. Otu said military effectiveness depended largely on the ability of leaders to demonstrate sound tactical judgment, physical fitness and mastery of basic soldiering skills. “The more you train in peacetime, the less you bleed in war,” he said.

Earlier, the Commander, Guards Brigade, Brig.-Gen. Adebisi Onasanya, said the competition was one of the Brigade’s key training activities aimed at enhancing officers’ physical fitness, tactical competence, sound judgment and leadership qualities. He said the Brigade placed strong emphasis on professionalism and competence among officers, while ensuring that high standards of training were transferred to soldiers.

The competition reflects the Brigade’s commitment to professionalism, combat readiness and operational excellence. The events have been designed to test key military competencies, including physical fitness, map reading, combat swimming, obstacle crossing, skill-at-arms and shooting. The true value of the competition lies not only in winning, but in improving individual and collective capacity to accomplish future operational tasks.

This echoes the 2022 combat proficiency competitions, which also saw the Guards Brigade test its readiness. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a focus on operational excellence.

The winners: 7 Guards Battalion, which won the opening event; and the Nigerian Army, which is investing in training. The losers: the units that did not win; and the Nigerian government, which must ensure the training translates into operational effectiveness.

Bottom Line: The Guards Brigade has begun its combat proficiency competition. Training is essential for readiness. The question is whether the training will translate into better security.