The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) civil service community has been thrown into mourning following the passing of Mrs. Grace Adayilo, the pioneer Head of the Civil Service of the FCT.
Adayilo reportedly breathed her last in the early hours of Monday, September 1, 2025. The news was confirmed by Anthony Odey, Special Assistant on Media to the Head of Service, in a terse text message which read: “Yes, please.” He, however, declined to provide additional details surrounding the cause of death.
Mrs. Adayilo made history on October 6, 2024, when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved her appointment as the very first substantive Head of Service of the FCT. Her appointment not only marked a milestone for the capital’s administrative system but also positioned her as the first female to occupy such a role.
Prior to her elevation, she had diligently served as the Permanent Secretary of the Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, where she was widely respected for her contributions to policy reforms and service delivery.
As of press time, neither her family nor the FCT Administration has issued a formal statement on the incident.
Her passing has left a significant void in the Federal Capital Territory bureaucracy, especially as she was seen as a reform-minded administrator committed to civil service restructuring.
okay.ng reports that her death comes less than a year into her tenure, making it an especially painful loss for the FCT administration.
