First FCT Head of Civil Service, Grace Adayilo, Dies

By Sofiat Adenekan-Abdul

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has expressed deep sorrow over the passing of Mrs. Grace Adayilo, the pioneer Head of the Civil Service of the FCT.

Mrs. Adayilo, who made history as the first person—and notably the first woman—to hold the position, died in the early hours of Monday, September 1, 2025.

He described the deceased as a hardworking woman, stating that he had pleaded with President Bola Tinubu to extend her tenure due to her hard work.

“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 the demise of the FCT Head of Service, I would have put off this media chat,” he said.

Her appointment as the Head of Civil Service was approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on October 6, 2024, and took immediate effect. Prior to that, she served as the Permanent Secretary of the Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat.

Reacting to the news during a media chat in Abuja on Monday, Wike described her passing as a painful loss, “Her death is really sad and unfortunate,” he stated, highlighting the significance of her contributions to the FCT administration and the civil service.