The Weight of Gold

#eBook

The Weight of Gold

by Victor Wilson

$2.0 PG

Synopsis

Seventeen-year-old Emeka Obinna, son of a wealthy Lagos real estate mogul, struggles with the disconnect between his family's privileged lifestyle and Nigeria's stark inequality. While his father and siblings embrace their wealth without question, Emeka—guided by his aunt Ngozi, a textile artist—challenges the family's business practices and advocates for ethical development. After his father suffers a stress-induced heart attack, Chief Obinna begins to reconsider his approach, leading to a groundbreaking community-centered development project in Ajah that integrates rather than displaces existing residents. Emeka simultaneously helps build the Lagos Youth Collective, a network of young activists working on various social initiatives including scholarships, skills training, and alternative economic models. By the story's end, Emeka accepts a position leading a new ethical development division of his family's company, choosing to defer university for a year to prove that business can operate with conscience. The narrative explores how one young person learns to use inherited privilege as a tool for change rather than a shield from responsibility—not solving systemic problems but demonstrating that different approaches are possible, one imperfect project at a time.