The General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Emmanuel Ugboaja, has died at the age of 60 following a prolonged illness.
Ugboaja reportedly passed away on Thursday, August 27, 2026, although details surrounding his death had not been fully disclosed as of the time of filing this report.
The development was communicated to members of the NLC National Executive Council during a meeting in Enugu State.
NLC President, Joe Ajaero, reportedly read a letter from Ugboaja’s family informing the labour leadership of his death.
Ugboaja was a veteran trade unionist who rose through the ranks of organised labour before becoming the fifth General Secretary of the NLC.
He began his union activities with the National Union of Chemical, Footwear, Rubber, Leather and Non-Metallic Products Employees, an affiliate of the NLC. He later served as the union’s General Secretary between 2000 and 2005.
From 2006 to 2009, Ugboaja worked with the Alliance for Credible Elections, where he served as Coordinator of Advocacy and Mobilisation. He subsequently joined the NLC Secretariat in 2009.
Beyond trade union activities, Ugboaja was involved in key national political and constitutional reform initiatives. He served as a delegate at the 2005 Political and Constitutional Reform Conference convened during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
He was also a participant in the 2014 Constitution Review Conference organised under former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Ugboaja became the NLC General Secretary in August 2019, succeeding Peter Ozo-Eson. His appointment was formally ratified by the NLC National Executive Council at a meeting in Kano on August 21, 2019.
With a legal background and decades of involvement in organised labour, Ugboaja played a significant role in trade union advocacy, civil-society engagement and national policy discussions.
His death comes as a major development for the Nigeria Labour Congress, which is currently holding its National Executive Council meeting in Enugu State.
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