He holds a Ph.D. in ethnomusicology and African Studies from Indiana University and a master of music from Westminster Choir College, specializing in sacred music and music education, with performance tracks in vocal performance and choral conducting. He also has training in philosophy and theology from the Pontifical Urban University, Rome. His research focuses on music in African, African American, and African Diaspora religious experiences; Black World music and resistance movements; and music and public health performances and the global politics of AIDS. Prior to joining the University of Colorado, Okigbo taught at Williams College in Massachusetts as the Sterling Brown Visiting Professor. He has also taught at Harvard University and the University of Notre Dame.