The General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Emmanuel Ugboaja, has died at the age of 60 after a protracted illness.
NLC President Joe Ajaero announced the d3ath on Thursday, August 27, 2026, to members of the Congress National Executive Council (NEC) during their ongoing meeting in Enugu, Enugu State.
Ajaero read a letter from Ugboaja’s family confirming the passing. Details surrounding the exact circumstances remained sketchy at the time of reporting, with sources indicating he died in an undisclosed hospital.
Ugboaja, a veteran trade unionist and lawyer, had served as NLC General Secretary since August 2019. His appointment was ratified by the National Executive Council at a meeting in Kano, where he succeeded the retiring Peter Ozo-Eson. He was the fifth General Secretary of the NLC since its establishment in 1978.
As General Secretary, Ugboaja effectively managed the administrative and strategic operations of the labour centre. He coordinated affiliate unions, handled industrial relations, negotiated with government and employers, shaped policy, and mobilised workers nationwide, while President Ajaero served as the Congress’s principal public and political face. He remained a central figure in labour’s engagements with successive governments, including efforts around minimum wage implementation. In April 2026, he signed an NLC directive urging workers in states yet to fully implement the 2024 National Minimum Wage Act to stage street rallies on May Day.
Born on May 15, 1966, Ugboaja obtained a law degree from the University of Calabar in 1987. He spent about four years in private legal practice before joining the trade union movement in 1993. According to the NLC’s historical biography, this made him the first Nigerian lawyer to work full-time for a trade union.
He began his major union career with the National Union of Chemical, Footwear, Rubber, Leather and Non-Metallic Products Employees, an NLC affiliate, rising to serve as its general secretary from 2000 to 2005. Between 2006 and 2009, he worked with the Alliance for Credible Elections as Coordinator of Advocacy and Mobilisation. He joined the NLC Secretariat in 2009, later serving as Principal Assistant General Secretary and heading the Industrial Relations and Organising department before his elevation to General Secretary. His career also extended into civil society and national constitutional reform processes in 2005 and 2014.
Ugboaja’s more than three decades of service in organised labour left a significant mark on the Nigerian trade union movement. Further details on funeral arrangements and official tributes from the NLC and other stakeholders were expected in the coming days.
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