This episode of Hard Knock Radio examines recent U.S. airstrikes in Nigeria within the broader context of shifting power dynamics across West Africa and the African continent as a whole. These military actions are unfolding amid a historic rupture between ECOWAS and the Alliance of Sahel States, signaling a profound realignment of regional alliances and challenging long-standing Western influence in the region.
The conversation digs into the systemic political and financial corruption in Nigeria, including the role of entrenched elites and central banking structures that enable the extraction and siphoning of national wealth, deepening instability and inequality. We also interrogate how global conflicts are often framed through manufactured narratives of religious warfare—pitting Christians against Muslims—while obscuring the deeper economic, geopolitical, and resource-driven motivations at play.
While oil production is frequently cited as the central issue, many analysts, argue that U.S. military interventions are more directly linked to African nations asserting greater control over their resources and reclaiming sovereignty over economic decision-making. At the heart of this discussion is the struggle for African self-determination and autonomy in the face of external pressure.
Kalanji speaks with Ajamu Baraka to unpack the political, regional, and global implications of the U.S. airstrikes on Nigeria, including how U.S. foreign policy intersects with evolving African alliances.
In the second half of the show, Kalanji is joined by Minister King X and Bomani for a critical conversation about aging political prisoners, the urgency of securing their release, and the broader implications for human rights, justice, and political repression in the United States.
Together, these conversations help listeners better understand the forces shaping military intervention, economic control, and liberation struggles—both abroad and at home.
Hard Knock Radio is a drive-time Hip-Hop talk show on KPFA (94.1fm @ 4-5 pm Monday-Friday), a community radio station without corporate underwriting, hosted by Davey D and Anita Johnson.