Wike Mourns FCT’s First Female Head of Service, Grace Adayilo

RYNI News | Omotayo Stephen . O
2 September 2025

Nigeria’s civil service community was thrown into mourning on Monday following the sudden death of Mrs. Grace Adayilo, the pioneering Head of the Civil Service of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and the first woman to ever hold the position.

Adayilo, who only a year ago was appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to lead the FCT civil service, reportedly collapsed in the early hours of September 1 and was pronounced dead at a hospital. Sources confirmed she had suffered complications linked to high blood pressure.

Until her death, Adayilo was a symbol of resilience and dedication in public service. Her appointment on October 6, 2024, marked a historic milestone, as she became both the first Head of Service for the FCT and the first female to occupy the office. Before her elevation, she served with distinction as Permanent Secretary in the Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, where colleagues described her as “diligent, disciplined, and deeply committed to her duties.”

Reacting to the shocking development during a scheduled media chat in Abuja, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, could barely contain his grief. “This is really pathetic. The late FCT Head of Service was very hardworking,” he said. “I had even written to President Tinubu to extend her tenure beyond retirement because of her diligence. If I had gotten the news earlier, I would have called off this media briefing.”

The minister, visibly shaken, recounted how he was informed of her death just minutes before facing the press. “I never heard she was sick. My Chief of Staff told me she was supposed to preach in church yesterday but couldn’t because of high blood pressure. Before they got her to the hospital, it was too late. It is very unfortunate,” Wike lamented.

Her sudden passing comes only days after her last official assignment—representing Wike at a high-level G7 security meeting in Abuja. Colleagues who interacted with her at the event described her as energetic and focused, making her untimely death all the more devastating.

Beyond her official duties, Adayilo was admired as a mentor and role model, particularly for women in public administration. Her rise to the pinnacle of the FCT civil service was celebrated as a breakthrough for gender representation in leadership.

Wike announced plans to visit her family immediately after the briefing, promising that the FCT Administration would stand with them during this period of grief.

For many in Abuja and beyond, Adayilo’s death represents not just the loss of an accomplished civil servant, but the dimming of a trailblazing light whose legacy of hard work and integrity will not be forgotten.

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