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Summary
Grace Adayilo, the pioneer and first female Head of Service of the FCT, has died at 69. Her death marks the loss of a trailblazing civil servant who broke new ground for women in leadership.
The pioneer Head of Civil Service of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Grace Adayilo, has died at the age of 69. She reportedly passed away in the early hours of Monday, September 1, 2025.
Grace Adayilo, a dedicated public servant, previously served as Education Secretary of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) and later as Permanent Secretary of the Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat.
She was appointed by President Bola Tinubu as the first substantive Head of Service of the FCT on October 6, 2024, following the approval of a new civil service structure for the territory. With the appointment, she made history as both the pioneer Head of Service of the FCT and the first woman to hold the position.
Her last official engagement was on August 28, when she represented FCT Minister Nyesom Wike at the G7 Security Meeting in Abuja.
Grace Adayilo, a registered member of the SPSP, was commended as a trailblazing figure. She was described as having “attained a double first” by being the first female Head of Service of the FCTA and the first serving top civil servant in the capital to be inducted as a fully registered member of the body.
Her death marks the loss of a historic figure in the FCT civil service who broke new ground for women in leadership.
