- NLC General Secretary Emmanuel Ugboaja has died at 60 after a prolonged illness
- He served as the Congress’s general secretary from 2019
- His death comes amid ongoing labour negotiations over wages and workers’ welfare
The General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Emmanuel Ugboaja, has died at the age of 60 following a prolonged illness.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that the details about the circumstances surrounding his death were not immediately available at the time of filing this report.
The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, reportedly announced Ugboaja’s death to members of the Congress National Executive Council during their ongoing meeting in Enugu State.
According to reports, Ajaero informed the delegates after reading a letter from Ugboaja’s family confirming his passing.
Ugboaja was a lawyer and experienced trade unionist who had served as the NLC General Secretary since August 2019. His appointment was ratified by the Congress’s National Executive Council at a meeting in Kano, where he succeeded Peter Ozo-Eson.
During his tenure, Ugboaja played a key role in coordinating the NLC’s administrative activities, industrial relations, negotiations with government and employers, policy implementation and mobilisation of affiliated unions.
His years in office coincided with several major disputes between organised labour and governments over workers’ salaries, welfare and economic policies.
One of his significant assignments involved negotiations over the implementation of the N30,000 national minimum wage approved in 2019. The disagreement over its implementation brought the government and labour unions close to industrial action before an agreement was eventually reached.
Ugboaja remained active in subsequent campaigns and negotiations on wages and workers’ welfare.
In April 2026, he signed an NLC directive calling on workers in states that had not fully implemented the 2024 National Minimum Wage Act to participate in nationwide rallies marking May Day.
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 entering the trade union movement in 1993.
The NLC’s historical profile identifies him as the first Nigerian lawyer to work full-time for a trade union.
He began his union career with the National Union of Chemical, Footwear, Rubber, Leather and Non-Metallic Products Employees, where he served as General Secretary from 2000 to 2005.
He later worked as Coordinator of Advocacy and Mobilisation at the Alliance for Credible Elections between 2006 and 2009 before joining the NLC Secretariat in 2009.
Ugboaja’s death comes as the Nigerian labour movement continues to engage federal and state authorities over minimum wage implementation, workers’ welfare and the effects of ongoing economic reforms.
The Nigeria Labour Congress is expected to provide further details on his death and funeral arrangements.
