TD The General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Emmanuel Ugboaja, has died at the age of 60.
Ugboaja’s death was disclosed on Thursday, August 27, 2026, as the NLC’s National Executive Council (NEC) was holding a meeting in Enugu, Enugu State.
NLC President, Joe Ajaero, reportedly informed members of the development after receiving a letter from the late labour leader’s family.
Reports said Ugboaja died after a prolonged illness, although details surrounding the circumstances of his death were initially sketchy.
Sources close to the labour leader said that he had battled leukaemia for several years and died on Saturday, August 22.
Born on May 15, 1966, Ugboaja was a lawyer and veteran trade unionist whose career in organised labour spanned more than three decades.
He obtained his law degree from the University of Calabar in 1987 and initially practised as a lawyer before joining the trade union movement in 1993.
He later became the first Nigerian lawyer to work full-time for a trade union.
Ugboaja began his trade union career with the National Union of Chemical, Footwear, Rubber, Leather and Non-Metallic Products Employees (NUCFRLANMPE), where he served as General Secretary from 2000 to 2005.
He subsequently served in civil society and joined the NLC Secretariat in 2009, rising to become Principal Assistant General Secretary and Head of Industrial Relations and Organising.
In August 2019, Ugboaja emerged as the fifth General Secretary of the NLC, succeeding Peter Ozo-Eson.
As General Secretary, he played a central role in the administration of the labour centre, coordinating affiliate unions, industrial relations, worker mobilisation and negotiations involving government and employers.
He was also involved in major national labour negotiations, including discussions surrounding the implementation of the national minimum wage.
His death comes less than a year after the passing of his predecessor, Peter Ozo-Eson, who died in December 2025 after a prolonged illness.
Ugboaja’s death is expected to be widely mourned across Nigeria’s organised labour movement.
He was regarded as an experienced administrator and prominent trade union figure.
This Dawn News extends its condolences to the Nigeria Labour Congress, the organised labour movement, and the family, friends and associates of Comrade Emmanuel Ugboaja.
