The General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Emmanuel Ugboaja, has died at the age of 60.
Newsonspot reports that Ugboaja, a veteran trade unionist and lawyer, reportedly died after a protracted illness. Details surrounding his death were still sketchy as of the time of filing this report.
The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, announced the development to members of the Congress National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Enugu, Enugu State, where he read a letter from the late General Secretary’s family.
Ugboaja was appointed NLC General Secretary in August 2019, becoming the fifth person to occupy the position since the labour centre was established in 1978.
Born on May 15, 1966, Ugboaja obtained a law degree from the University of Calabar in 1987. After spending about four years in private legal practice, he joined the trade union movement in 1993.
According to the NLC’s historical biography, Ugboaja was the first Nigerian lawyer to work full-time for a trade union.
His career spanned private legal practice, trade unionism, civil-society advocacy and national policy engagement. He began his trade union career with the National Union of Chemical, Footwear, Rubber, Leather and Non-Metallic Products Employees (NUCFRLANMPE), an affiliate of the NLC.
He rose through the ranks and served as the union’s General Secretary between 2000 and 2005.
Ugboaja later served the NLC as Principal Assistant General Secretary and Head of Industrial Relations and Organising, roles that positioned him for the top leadership position.
He eventually emerged as General Secretary in 2019 after a competitive selection process.
His tenure placed him at the centre of some of the labour movement’s major engagements with the Federal Government. One of his early major assignments was the negotiation over the implementation of the N30,000 national minimum wage, a dispute that brought organised labour close to industrial action before an agreement was eventually reached.
Ugboaja’s death marks the loss of a prominent figure whose career was closely associated with Nigeria’s labour movement and industrial relations.
