ABSTRACT The cluster M54 lies at the centre of the Sagittarius dwarf spheroidal galaxy, and therefore may be the closest example of a nuclear star cluster. Either in situ star formation, inspiralling globular clusters, or a combination have been invoked to explain the wide variety of stellar sub-populations in nuclear star clusters. Globular clusters are known to exhibit light element variations, which can be identified using the photometric construct called a chromosome map. In this letter, we create chromosome maps for three distinct age-metallicity sub-populations in the vicinity of M54. We find that the old, metal-poor population shows the signature of light element variations, while the young and intermediate-age metal rich populations do not. We conclude that the nucleus of Sagittarius formed through a combination of in situ star formation and globular cluster accretion. This letter demonstrates that properly constructed chromosome maps of iron-complex globular clusters can provide insight into the formation locations of the different stellar populations.