Nugis worked as a teacher at Tallinn Technical Secondary School for Building and Mechanics from 1967 to 1968, and at various positions in the Pioneer and Tegur factories from 1968 to 1974. In 1974, Nugis became director of the building materials factory Ehitusdetail, and in 1980 director of a ski factory, Dünamo.[1] In 1986, he became director of the Estoplast factory. Under his leadership, central Soviet Union control of Estoplast was transferred to local Estonian control in 1988. Together with other Estonian-minded industrial leaders, Nugis formed the Union of Work Collectives (Estonian: Eesti Töökollektiivide Liit) where he became the leader.[3]
In 1990, Nugis was elected to the Estonian Supreme Council at the first mostly free elections, becoming Speaker.[4] That same year, he left the Communist Party and founded the Republican Coalition Party.[5] On 20 August 1991, he presided over the Supreme Council's historic session where it voted to restore Estonia's national independence, with the gavel strike by Nugis confirming the result.[6] In October, Nugis became the first Estonian politician to publicly state that the country should try to join NATO as soon as possible, even as Soviet troops were still present in the Baltic nation.[7]
Nugis was a member of the 20 August Club which is an organization that is composed of the former members of the Supreme Council who had voted for the restoration of Estonian independence.[2]