The General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Emmanuel Ugboaja, has died at the age of 60 after a prolonged illness.
Ugboaja, who served as the fifth General Secretary of the NLC, died while details surrounding his death remained limited as of the time of filing the report.
His death was communicated to members of the Congress National Executive Council during a meeting in Enugu, Enugu State. NLC President Joe Ajaero reportedly read a letter from Ugboaja’s family informing the council of his passing.
Ugboaja was a lawyer and experienced trade unionist who became NLC General Secretary in August 2019. He was born on May 15, 1966, and studied law at the University of Calabar, graduating in 1987.
After spending about four years in private legal practice, he moved into the labour movement in 1993. His extensive experience in trade union affairs later saw him rise through the ranks of the National Union of Chemical, Footwear, Rubber, Leather and Non-Metallic Products Employees, an affiliate of the NLC.
He eventually became General Secretary of the union, a position he held between 2000 and 2005.
Ugboaja also had experience outside organised labour. Between 2006 and 2009, he worked with the Alliance for Credible Elections, where he served as Coordinator for Advocacy and Mobilisation. He returned to the NLC Secretariat in 2009 and continued his rise within the labour organisation.
His career also included participation in national political and constitutional reform processes. He was a delegate to the Political and Constitutional Reform Conference convened under former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2005.
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In 2014, he again participated in a national constitutional review process as a delegate to the Constitution Review Conference organised during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Before he was appointed NLC General Secretary, Ugboaja served as Principal Assistant General Secretary and headed the Congress’s Industrial Relations and Organising department.
He was selected to succeed Peter Ozo-Eson, the former NLC General Secretary who retired from the position in 2019. The NLC National Executive Council formally approved Ugboaja’s appointment at its meeting in Kano on August 21, 2019.
As General Secretary, Ugboaja played a key role in the administrative and industrial activities of the labour centre. His responsibilities included coordinating the NLC’s affiliated unions, handling industrial relations, supporting negotiations with government and employers, implementing decisions of the Congress and organising workers for labour actions.
One of his early major assignments in the position involved negotiations over the implementation of the N30,000 national minimum wage. The discussions between organised labour and government were marked by disagreements and threats of industrial action before an agreement was reached.
Ugboaja remained active in labour negotiations and nationwide mobilisation in the years that followed. In April 2026, he signed an NLC directive urging workers in states that had yet to fully implement the 2024 National Minimum Wage Act to participate in street rallies on May Day.
His professional journey took him from legal practice into trade unionism, civil-society advocacy and senior leadership within the NLC. His experience across these areas made him an influential figure in Nigeria’s organised labour movement.
Ugboaja’s death comes at a time when the NLC continues to engage the Federal Government and state authorities over wages, workers’ welfare, economic conditions and other labour-related issues.
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