The major motivation of British colonization of Nigeria was to ______________

The major motivation of British colonization of Nigeria was to satisfy British economic interests. During the 19th century, the British were expanding their global trade network and looking for new markets to sell their manufactured goods and acquire raw materials to fuel their industries. Nigeria, with its vast resources of palm oil, groundnuts, cocoa, and rubber, became an attractive target for British trade interests. The British established trading posts and gradually extended their control over the country through treaties and military conquests. They imposed a cash-crop economy on the country, which meant that Nigerians were forced to grow crops for export rather than for their own consumption. This led to the exploitation of Nigerian labor and resources, which greatly benefited the British economy. While the British did spread their religion and westernize Nigerians to some extent, these efforts were secondary to their primary goal of satisfying their economic interests. As for protecting Nigeria from external attack, this was not a significant factor in the British colonization of Nigeria, as the country was not facing any major external threats at the time.