The 2026 Igbo Studies Association Conference continued today at the downtown Chicago campus of Dominican University with a warm and meaningful cultural moment. Members of the Igbo Association of Chicago came to welcome conference participants and offered ọjị (the kola nut) as a sign of hospitality, goodwill, and blessing.

In Igbo tradition, ọjị is not an ordinary item. It is a sacred symbol of welcome, peace, unity, and communal respect. The presentation and breaking of kola nut, known as ịwa ọjị, is a way of opening a gathering properly and inviting blessings upon the people and the work ahead.

For ISA 2026, the moment was especially significant. The conference brings together scholars, students, community leaders, and friends of Igbo Studies from different parts of the world. By welcoming participants with ọjị, the Igbo Association of Chicago connected the academic work of the conference to the living traditions that continue to sustain Igbo identity in the diaspora.

ISA President Dr. Chidi Igwe thanked the Igbo Association of Chicago for their continued support, friendship, and hospitality. Their presence at Dominican University reminded participants of the strong relationship between ISA and the wider Igbo community in Chicago.

The ceremony also showed that Igbo Studies is more than papers and presentations. It is also about language, memory, protocol, respect, community, and the cultural practices that carry Igbo life across generations and across borders.

As ISA 2026 continues, the ịwa ọjị moment stands out as a beautiful reminder that scholarship is strongest when it remains rooted in culture.

Ọjị Igbo: a symbol of welcome, unity, and blessing.