Since Nigerian independence in 1960, ethnic salience between the Igbo, Yoruba, and Hausa Fulani groups has prevented Nigerians from building a shared national identity. Subsequent government programs attempting to address this issue have faced uneven results, showing the limits of public policy in bridging highly salient ethnic divides. However, everyday cultural movements like the widespread consumption and celebration of Jollof Rice show a new means to nation-building that is contrary to popular political theory.

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