The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has expressed sorrow over the demise of its general secretary, Comrade Emmanuel Okechukwu Ugboaja, describing him as a “brilliant blessing” whose death has left a dark cloud over the labour movement.
Ugboaja died in the early hours of Saturday, August 22, 2026, after a protracted illness.
According to a communiqué issued at the end of the NLC National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held
in Enugu and signed by NLC president, Comrade Joe Ajaero, the NEC said it received the news of Ugboaja’s death from his family, noting that the late labour leader remained committed to the welfare of Nigerian workers despite his health challenges.
According to the communiqué, Ugboaja was not only the General Secretary of the NLC but a leading intellectual and strategist whose contributions to the trade union movement extended beyond Nigeria.
It described him as an erudite scholar, passionate advocate and cerebral strategist who combined his legal training with a deep commitment to workers’ rights and social justice.
The congress said Ugboaja consistently placed the interests of workers and oppressed people above personal comfort, while maintaining strong convictions about international working-class solidarity.
During his career, he played prominent roles both at the negotiating table and on the picket line.
He also served as a delegate to the National Political Reform Conference in 2005 and the National Conference in 2014, where he represented the interests of disadvantaged Nigerians.
The NLC said his intellectual depth, legal knowledge and commitment to workers made him a formidable figure within the labour movement and earned him the respect of colleagues and affiliates.
The NEC resolved to work closely with Ugboaja’s family to ensure that he receives what it described as a befitting passage and an honour commensurate with his contributions to the struggle for social justice.
The congress also urged its members to remain steadfast, saying Ugboaja’s death should strengthen rather than weaken the labour movement’s commitment to equity, fairness and workers’ rights.
