He is a specialist in the study of international and regional organizations in Africa, particularly the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union. Emmanuel's research centers on the concept of regional convergence, a process in which bureaucratic actors in African regional organizations build and create networks with civil society and extra-regional partners, beyond legalistic frameworks of integration to create deep and repeated modes of engagement to improve regional governance capacity. His research interests also include global health governance, comparative regionalism, and electoral politics in West Africa.