The agency, which was established in 2011, had been existing without legislative authority. This was disclosed in a post he made on his official @MBuhari Twitter account on Tuesday, November 13, 2018.

He added that the act will further empower the agency in carrying out its mandate in disease control.

"One of the Bills I signed into law last week is for an Act establishing the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC). The Agency has existed for seven years, without enabling legislation. Now @NCDCgov has an Act, and is further empowered to deliver on its very important mandate," the post read.

The act was signed a month after promising to honour the legacy of the late Dr Stella Adadevoh, the medical doctor who helped to prevent a potentially disastrous outbreak of Ebola virus in Nigeria in 2014.

In his message celebrating the late physician's posthumous birthday, president Buhari said that "As part of our efforts to build on her legacy our administration has put great effort into strengthening the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC)".

A total number of eight people were killed during the contained outbreak four years ago.