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The first female and indigenous Head of Service (HoS) of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Grace Adayilo, has died.
According to The Nation, Adayilo passed away suddenly in the early hours of Monday, September 1, 2025. As of the time of filing this report, neither her family nor the FCT Administration has issued an official statement.
Her last official engagement was on Thursday, when she represented FCT Minister Nyesom Wike at the G7 security meeting in Abuja.
President Bola Tinubu had approved her appointment as FCT Head of Service on October 6, 2024, a move widely seen as historic for breaking both gender and geographical barriers.
Before her elevation, Adayilo served as Permanent Secretary of the Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat.
Reacting to the news, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike expressed deep sorrow over her passing. During a media chat in Abuja on Monday, Wike described her death as “a sad one” and mourned the loss of what he called a pioneer figure in the FCT civil service.
He said, “Her death is really sad and unfortunate.”
