Emmanuel Ugboaja, General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has died at the age of 60 after a prolonged illness.
NLC President Joe Ajaero announced Ugboaja’s death during a meeting of the Congress’ National Executive Council in Enugu, following a letter from the deceased’s family informing the leadership of his passing.
Ugboaja became the fifth General Secretary of the NLC in 2019. He was a lawyer and veteran trade unionist whose career in organised labour spanned more than three decades.
Born on May 15, 1966, Ugboaja studied law at the University of Calabar and graduated in 1987. He initially practised as a lawyer before joining the trade union movement in 1993.
NLC historical records identify 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 later served as General Secretary from 2000 to 2005.
Ugboaja also worked in civil society and participated in national reform initiatives. From 2006 to 2009, he was Coordinator of Advocacy and Mobilisation at the Alliance for Credible Elections before joining the NLC Secretariat in 2009.
He served as a delegate to the Political and Constitutional Reform Conference convened in 2005 and also participated in the 2014 National Conference.
Before becoming NLC General Secretary, Ugboaja served as Principal Assistant General Secretary and headed the Industrial Relations and Organising Department of the labour centre.
Further details about his illness and circumstances surrounding his death were not immediately available as of the time of filing this report.
