The General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Emmanuel Ugboaja, has died at the age of 60 following a prolonged illness.
Details surrounding his death remained unclear as of the time of filing this report.
The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, announced Ugboaja’s death to members of the Congress National Executive Council during their ongoing meeting in Enugu, Enugu State, according to Tribune Newspapers.
Ajaero reportedly read a letter from Ugboaja’s family informing delegates of his passing.
Ugboaja, a lawyer and veteran trade unionist, had served as NLC General Secretary since August 2019, after his appointment was ratified by the Congress’s National Executive Council at a meeting in Kano. He succeeded the then-retiring Peter Ozo-Eson.
As General Secretary, Ugboaja coordinated the administrative and strategic affairs of the labour centre, including relations with affiliate unions, industrial relations, negotiations with government and employers, policy implementation and nationwide mobilisation.
His tenure coincided with several major confrontations between organised labour and successive administrations over wages, workers’ welfare and economic policies.
One of his early major assignments was the negotiation over the implementation of the N30,000 national minimum wage approved by the Federal Government in 2019. Disagreements over its implementation brought the government and organised labour close to industrial action before an agreement was eventually reached.
Ugboaja remained actively involved in subsequent negotiations and campaigns concerning workers’ wages and welfare.
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, underscoring his role in translating Congress decisions into nationwide mobilisation.
Born on May 15, 1966, Ugboaja studied Law at the University of Calabar and graduated 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, his entry into the labour movement made him the first Nigerian lawyer to work full-time for a trade union.
Ugboaja began his union career with the National Union of Chemical, Footwear, Rubber, Leather and Non-Metallic Products Employees, an NLC affiliate, where he rose to become General Secretary from 2000 to 2005.
He later served as Coordinator of Advocacy and Mobilisation at the Alliance for Credible Elections between 2006 and 2009 before joining the NLC Secretariat in 2009.
His death comes at a critical period for Nigeria’s labour movement, which continues to engage the Federal Government and state governments over the implementation of the new minimum wage, workers’ welfare and the broader economic impact of ongoing reforms.
The NLC is expected to issue further statements on Ugboaja’s death and announce details of his funeral arrangements.
