In the 1870s, Miller Bros was among the few merchant firms that moved their trading activities up the Niger, into the interior of present-day Nigeria.
To bypass the coastal middlemen, the firm purchased a steamship named Sultan of Sokoto.
But in 1876, the ship came under heavy attack from the banks in a move suspected to have been initiated by Liverpool merchants and citizens of Brass, Nigeria who were opposed to Miller's desire to cut out the middlemen; opposition to Miller's entry into the interior forced the ship to become inoperable.
Before joining the Royal Niger co, Miller was a man of means and his appointment as a managing director was due in part to his business acumen more than his equity in the firm.
The Millers were successful during this period as they had easier access to procure produce from the interior through middlemen like Jaja.