By Samuel Akpan
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is in mourning following the death of its General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja, who passed away at age 60 after a protracted illness.
NLC President Joe Ajaero announced the news to the workforce during a National Executive Council meeting by reading a letter from the Ugboaja family.
While detailed circumstances surrounding his passing in Enugu remain unclear, his loss has sent shockwaves throughout the nation’s trade union movement.
A seasoned labor leader, Ugboaja had served as General Secretary since August 2019, when he succeeded Peter Ozo-Eson.
In this role, he anchored the NLC’s administrative and strategic operations, playing a pivotal part in leading government negotiations, managing complex industrial relations, and driving key labor policy implementations across Nigeria.
His tenure involved severe confrontations including the disagreement over implementation brought them close to industrial action a veteran recalled of the 2019 minimum wage negotiations, marking his persistent advocacy for workers’ welfare.
PerSecondNews recalls that he further orchestrated grassroots campaigns – In April 2026, he signed an NLC directive an official stated, mobilizing non-compliant states toward May Day street rallies for the National Minimum Wage Act.
Born on May 15, 1966, Ugboaja earned his law degree from the University of Calabar in 1987.
Following four years in private practice, he pivoted to organized labor in 1993, earning a place in history as the first Nigerian lawyer to work full-time for a trade union.