The Nigeria Labour Congress is mourning the death of its General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja, who passed away at the age of 60 after a prolonged illness.
The news was announced by NLC President Joe Ajaero during a meeting of the Congress’ National Executive Council in Enugu on Thursday. Ajaero reportedly informed members after receiving a letter from Ugboaja’s family confirming his death.
Ugboaja was a lawyer and veteran trade unionist whose career in organised labour spanned more than three decades. He became the fifth General Secretary of the NLC in August 2019, succeeding Peter Ozo-Eson after his retirement from the position.
Born on May 15, 1966, Ugboaja studied law at the University of Calabar and graduated in 1987. He initially spent about four years in private legal practice before joining the trade union movement in 1993.
His entry into organised labour marked a significant point in his career. According to the NLC's historical profile, he became the first Nigerian lawyer to work full-time for a trade union when he joined the National Union of Chemical, Footwear, Rubber, Leather and Non-Metallic Products Employees, an affiliate of the NLC.
He rose through the ranks of the union and served as its General Secretary between 2000 and 2005 before moving into civil-society advocacy. From 2006 to 2009, he served as Coordinator of Advocacy and Mobilisation at the Alliance for Credible Elections, where he was involved in electoral and civic engagement.
Ugboaja later returned to the NLC Secretariat in 2009 and continued his rise within the labour centre. Before becoming General Secretary, he served as Principal Assistant General Secretary and headed the Industrial Relations and Organising department.
His leadership of the NLC Secretariat coincided with several major labour disputes and negotiations involving workers, government and employers.
One of the significant issues during his tenure was the implementation of Nigeria's N30,000 national minimum wage, which generated extensive negotiations between organised labour and government.
Ugboaja also remained involved in more recent labour campaigns. In April 2026, he signed an NLC directive concerning workers in states that had yet to fully implement the 2024 National Minimum Wage Act, calling for street rallies as part of the labour movement's May Day activities.
Beyond trade union activities, Ugboaja participated in national reform discussions. He was a delegate to the 2005 Political and Constitutional Reform Conference and later participated in the 2014 National Conference.
His career therefore extended beyond the administration of the NLC. He combined legal training with years of experience in industrial relations, union organisation, civil-society advocacy and national policy discussions.
As General Secretary, he played an important administrative role within the labour centre, coordinating the activities of affiliate unions and contributing to negotiations and engagements involving workers' rights, wages and labour policy.
His death leaves a vacancy in one of the most important administrative positions within Nigeria's organised labour movement. The NLC is expected to address succession arrangements as the Congress continues its activities.
For the labour movement, Ugboaja's passing represents the loss of a senior figure who spent most of his professional life working within organised labour and participating in some of the country's major industrial and policy debates.
Details concerning his funeral arrangements and other plans following his death are expected to be communicated by his family and the NLC.
His passing at 60 brings to an end a career that began in legal practice and evolved into more than three decades of trade union and public-interest work.
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