After having lived in the Philippines, United Kingdom, Nigeria, and Togo, his family settled in Arlington, VA and Washington, D.C.[2][3] Onah studied as an undergraduate at Harvard University, graduating with honors in biochemical sciences and writing a thesis titled A Neural Switch Controlling Phototactic Behavior in Drosophila.

[4] He received the Pechet Foundation grant given to biochemistry majors and the Thomas T. Hoopes Prize for outstanding scholarly work.

[3][2] In grad school at UCLA, Onah wrote and directed the short film The Cure, which was recognized by mtvU, won a 2008 Directors Guild of America Award,[9] and was featured in The Los Angeles Times.

Onah then completed A History of Violence with renowned cognitive psychologist Steven Pinker[12] and Dara Ju, which won him a second student Directors Guild of America Award in 2012.

[24] Upon its theatrical release, Variety magazine wrote that The Price is "a thoughtfully crafted, elegant-looking indie drama that suggests a bright future for Onah" and "a first feature so assured on nearly all levels.