The Head of Civil Service for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mrs. Grace Adayilo, has died after reportedly collapsing in the early hours of Monday, September 1, 2025.
The cause of her death has not yet been confirmed.
Adayilo made history in October 2024 when President Bola Tinubu approved her appointment as the first female and indigenous Head of Service of the FCT. Before her elevation, she served as the Permanent Secretary of the Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat.
Her last official outing was on Thursday, when she represented the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, at the G7 security meeting in Abuja.
Reacting to the news during a media chat in Abuja on Monday, Wike expressed deep sorrow, describing her passing as “sad and unfortunate.” He praised her dedication to service and revealed that he had appealed to President Tinubu to extend her tenure due to her exceptional performance.
“The late FCT Head of Service was very hardworking. I pleaded with President Tinubu to extend her tenure due to her hard work. If I had gotten the information on her demise earlier, I would have put off this media chat,” Wike said.
Adayilo, an indigene of Abuja, was the first person ever to occupy the Head of Service position in the FCT Administration.
