The British company granted the charter to rule and administer the northern area before direct colonial rule was known as

Answer Details

Before the establishment of direct British colonial rule in Nigeria, the British government used chartered companies to administer and trade in various parts of the territory. The company that was granted the royal charter to govern the northern area of present-day Nigeria was the Royal Niger Company.

The Royal Niger Company was originally established as the United African Company by Sir George Taubman Goldie in 1879 and later reorganised. In 1886, it received a royal charter from the British Crown, giving it the authority to administer the territories along the Niger River and its tributaries, particularly the northern regions. The company exercised governmental powers including the collection of taxes, administration of justice, and making of treaties with local rulers.

In 1900, the British government revoked the company's charter and assumed direct control, establishing the Protectorate of Northern Nigeria under Sir Frederick Lugard. The other options presented are fictitious company names that did not exist in Nigerian colonial history.