ENUGU / ABUJA — The General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Emmanuel Ugboaja, has died at the age of 60 following a prolonged illness.
The news of his demise was communicated to the National Executive Council (NEC) of the NLC by Congress President Joe Ajaero during an ongoing leadership meeting in Enugu, following official notification from Ugboaja’s family.
Profile & Legacy in Organized Labour
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Historic Pioneer: Appointed as the fifth General Secretary of the NLC in August 2019, Ugboaja holds the distinction of being the first Nigerian lawyer to work full-time for a trade union, bridging legal practice with grassroots unionism.
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3-Decade Union Career: A graduate of the University of Calabar (LL.B, 1987), Ugboaja left private legal practice in 1993 to join the labor movement full-time. He previously served as General Secretary of the National Union of Chemical, Footwear, Rubber, Leather and Non-Metallic Products Employees (NUCFRLANMPE) between 2000 and 2005.
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National Policy & Reforms: He served as a delegate representing organized labor at key constitutional reform summits, including the 2005 Political and Constitutional Reform Conference and the 2014 National Conference.
