Concept:Abolition of the slave trade redirected European interest in Nigeria from human cargo to legitimate commerce and resource extraction.
Explanation:When Britain abolished the slave trade, it banned the buying and selling of enslaved Africans.
British merchants then sought alternative products such as palm oil, palm kernels, and groundnuts for their industries.
Nigeria was rich in these agricultural resources and other raw materials.
The need to secure regular supplies made European traders extend credit and establish trading posts on the Nigerian coast.
They invested capital in transport, storage, and agents.
This process allowed European merchant capital to flow deeply into Nigeria.
It was this commercial penetration that the abolition of the slave trade directly stimulated.
Answer:A. penetration of European merchants capital into Nigeria.