Emmanuel Ugboaja, General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has died at the age of 60, labour sources have confirmed.
Ugboaja is understood to have died on Saturday, August 22, 2026, following a lengthy struggle with leukaemia that stretched close to four years. According to a source close to the labour leader, confusion has surrounded the timing of the announcement. “He died on Saturday, but we don’t know why they are only informing us now,” the source said, adding that the information about the date of death had nonetheless been reliably confirmed.
A lawyer and veteran trade unionist, Ugboaja rose to become the fifth General Secretary in the NLC’s history when he was appointed in August 2019, succeeding Peter Ozo-Eson. His involvement in organised labour spanned more than 30 years, during which he earned a reputation as one of the most capable administrators the movement has produced.
Born on May 15, 1966, Ugboaja studied law at the University of Calabar, graduating with an LL.B in 1987. He spent roughly four years in private legal practice before turning to trade unionism full-time — a shift that made him, by the NLC’s own account, the first Nigerian lawyer to work exclusively for a trade union.
Before ascending to the NLC’s top secretarial post, Ugboaja led the National Union of Chemical, Footwear, Rubber, Leather and Non-Metallic Products Employees (NUCFRLANMPE), an NLC affiliate, serving as its General Secretary from 2000 to 2005.
As NLC General Secretary, he oversaw the administration of affiliate unions and was a central figure in national labour negotiations, including talks over the national minimum wage.
His work extended beyond the union movement. Between 2006 and 2009, Ugboaja served as Coordinator for Advocacy and Mobilisation at the Alliance for Credible Elections. He also represented labour as a delegate at the 2005 Political Reforms Conference and the 2014 National Conference, and held membership of the National Institute (mni) following his graduation from the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru.
Ugboaja’s death leaves a significant gap in Nigeria’s organised labour movement, where he devoted decades to advancing workers’ interests and shaping national policy debates.
Further details on the circumstances of his death and burial arrangements are expected from his family and the NLC in the coming days.
