Army Warrant Officers, SNCOs Begin Combat Competition in Kaduna
By Mohammed Tijjani
The General Officer Commanding (GOC), Abubakar Wase, has declared open the 2026 1 Division Warrant Officers and Senior Non-Commissioned Officers (WOS/SNCOs) Competition aimed at enhancing combat readiness and operational effectiveness among troops.
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The five-day competition, holding from June 15 to June 19 at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) Old Site Sports Complex, Kaduna, has drawn participants from formations and units under the 1 Division.
Declaring the opening ceremony on Tuesday. Wase described the competition as a key training activity designed to sharpen combat readiness, leadership qualities and physical endurance of troops.
He said that the exercise aligned with the Nigerian Army Strategic Command Philosophy and Training Directives for 2026, particularly the third pillar of the Chief of Army Staff’s philosophy, which focuses on enhancing operational readiness.
“The competition comes at a critical time as we continue to adapt and respond to contemporary and asymmetric security challenges across our areas of responsibility.
“Our efforts are directly aligned with the intent of the Chief of Army Staff to build a disciplined, combat-ready force through aggressive training, tactical proficiency and professional development,” he said.
The GOC described Warrant Officers and Senior Non-Commissioned Officers as the critical link in the Army’s chain of command, urging participants to uphold the highest standards of professionalism.
He charged the competitors to display uncommon determination, teamwork and sportsmanship, stressing that the ultimate objective was to improve the collective operational readiness of the Nigerian Army.
Wase also called on umpires and organisers to maintain fairness, professionalism and objectivity throughout the competition.
Earlier, the Commander, 1 Division Garrison, Brig-Gen. Auwal Abdullahi, said the competition was aimed at developing leadership skills, organisational ability, teamwork, endurance and esprit de corps among participants.
According to him, the exercise is a reaffirmation of the Nigerian Army’s commitment to professionalism, responsiveness and combat readiness in line with the Chief of Army Staff’s command philosophy.
Abdullahi urged the participants to compete with courage, discipline and spirit of sportsmanship, while encouraging officials and judges to remain fair and professional.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 177 soldiers and three officers are participating in the competition.
The participants were drawn from 1 Division Garrison, 3 Brigade Kano, 31 Artillery Brigade, 41 Engineer Brigade, 51 Signal Brigade and 1 Military Intelligence Brigade.
NAN further reports that the competitors will test their skills in weapon handling, range classification, obstacle crossing, physical fitness, map reading, navigation and other military disciplines.
The competition is expected to enhance interoperability, tactical competence and combat effectiveness among participating formations and units.
