Northern Nigeria Protectorate

The Northern Nigeria Protectorate was a British protectorate that existed from 1900 until 1914, covering the northern part of modern Nigeria. The Royal Niger Company's charter was revoked on 1 January 1900, and the British government took direct control, appointing Frederick Lugard as high commissioner. The protectorate included the Sokoto Caliphate and parts of the Bornu Empire, which were conquered by 1902 after military campaigns. Lokoja was the first capital, but Zungeru became the administrative headquarters in 1902 because it was the most northerly town reachable by river transport. Lugard built a system of indirect rule through native authorities and worked to suppress slavery and raiding. Revenue came largely from customs and the railway, and administration remained thin outside the major emirates, where native authorities collected taxes and kept order. On 1 January 1914 the protectorate was merged with Southern Nigeria and Lagos to form the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria.