Digital Cultural Heritage and Perceptions of Indigenous Institutions in Southeast Nigeria: A Cross-Sectional Study of Engagement, Governance Legitimacy, and Leadership Confidence

This cross-sectional survey examined associations between digital cultural heritage (DCH), sacred-institution engagement (SIE), perceived indigenous-governance legitimacy (IGL), and confidence in culturally grounded leadership (CCL) in Southeast Nigeria. A structured questionnaire was administered to 472 respondents from six stakeholder categories across Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo states. Cronbach's α values for the four scales ranged from .86 to .93. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, and three separate simple linear regressions were reported. DCH was positively associated with SIE (r = .621, p < .001; R² = .386), IGL (r = .487, p < .001; R² = .237), and CCL (r = .553, p < .001; R² = .306). These estimates represent unadjusted associations among surveyed stakeholders, not causal effects. The findings suggest that digital cultural heritage merits consideration as a context for institutional engagement and perceptions of customary governance. Community participation and control over culturally sensitive information remain important considerations for heritage policy and practice.