Linguists Collective Conference & International Mother Language Day IMLD Celebration
Linguists Collective Conference & International Mother
Language Day Celebration
Saturday, 21st February 2026
The Sacred Inspection: An Igbo Framework for Digital Safety
Dennis Kelechi Okpara is a cybersecurity expert with strong roots in Igbo community leadership, bringing together technical expertise and cultural wisdom to promote digital safety without disconnecting families from their heritage. He holds a degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering and an MSc in Information Security from Royal Holloway, University of London, and is currently a doctoral researcher specialising in digital identity and cyber resilience. He is the Founder and CEO of Dijioma, as well as the Founder and CEO of the Information Technology for Youths Advancement Foundation (IT4YUS). His community leadership roles include serving as Secretary General of the Igbo Progressive Union UK (2023–2025), Vice President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo UK (2022–2024), and currently Director of Digital Inclusion at the Igbo Progressive Union UK.
About Okpara
In this talk, Dennis explores the deep cultural significance of the Igbo kola nut ritual, revealing how its traditional practices embody a sophisticated, ancestral framework for truth, trust, and community protection. By highlighting the ritual’s linguistic and cultural symbolism, he demonstrates how the sacred “Receive → Inspect → Decide” sequence can inform modern approaches to communication and digital discernment. Through this lens, he connects Igbo cultural wisdom to contemporary challenges, showing how the practice of obele anya (a careful communal vigilance) offers a powerful model for safeguarding both personal and collective wellbeing in today’s digital world.