Grace Adayilo, the first female and indigenous Head of Service of the Federal Capital Territory, has died.

Adayilo was confirmed dead in the early hours of Monday, according to a senior official in the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA). At the time of reporting, neither her family nor the FCTA had released an official statement.

Her last public assignment was on Thursday, when she represented the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, at a meeting of the G7 security group in Abuja.

President Bola Tinubu appointed Adayilo to the position in October 2024, making her the first woman and the first indigenous person to occupy the office since the creation of the FCT. Her appointment was seen as a landmark in the territory’s administrative history.

Adayilo’s death comes less than a year into her tenure as head of the FCT civil service.