Wike mourns as FCT’s Head of Service dies at 57

The first female Head of Service of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administration, Grace Adayilo, is dead.

It was gathered that Adayilo died in the early hours of Monday, September 1, 2025, at the age of 57.

Her death came as a shock to many, as she had attended a church service on Sunday with no signs of illness.

Adayilo made history as the first Head of Service and the first female to hold the position in the FCT.

President Bola Tinubu had approved Adayilo’s appointment on October 6, 2024, with immediate effect.

Prior to that, she served as the Permanent Secretary of the Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat.

Speaking on her demise during a media chat on Monday, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, described Adayilo’s death as a great loss.

Wike, who described the Adayilo as a hardworking woman, disclosed that he pleaded with Tinubu to extend her tenure due to her hard work.

Nigeria, Brazil central banks deepen cooperation on economic stability

The minister stated: “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. Her death is really sad and unfortunate.”

Appointed in 2024 following the retirement of Dr Atang Udo Samuel, Adayilo’s tenure was marked by her dedication to improving bureaucratic efficiency and aligning with Tinubu’s ‘Hope Agenda’.

Before her appointment as Head of Service, Grace Adayilo held several key positions.

She served as the Permanent Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development in the FCT Administration, she was also the Education Secretary of the Local Education Authority (LEA) in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), where she revived the educational environment.

She played a huge role as Director of the Gender Development Department under the Social Development Secretariat where she managed critical issues like child custody, family disputes, and gender-based violence response as outlined in the Child Rights Act 2003.

The Star