The Critical Need for Electrical Drawings in Building Construction

The absence of proper electrical drawings on construction sites continues to present significant challenges during installations and even greater risks for future maintenance. Unfortunately, in many building projects across Nigeria, electrical drawings are often overlooked, even among well informed professionals. The common practice is to call in an electrician only after blockwork and roofing are complete, requesting a cost estimate without any formal design. What follows is a purely discretionary approach, with the electrician installing conduit and wiring without reference to a design, no drawings, no documentation, relying solely on memory.

Even more concerning is that this situation is not limited to small residential projects. It extends to public buildings, high end hotels, and even government funded projects. In many of these cases, electrical drawings are merely submitted to fulfill documentation requirements for approval purposes but are not followed on site.

This points to a systemic issue. The current regulatory environment has fallen short in enforcing proper standards, and as a result, the responsibility to uphold safety and professionalism rests heavily on industry stakeholders. To address this, I strongly recommend the following:

1. Engage a qualified Electrical Engineer for every project to provide a detailed electrical design and drawing. A proper design ensures accurate cable sizing, appropriate circuit breaker ratings, effective earthing systems, and comprehensive schematics that support easier maintenance and long term reliability.
2. Separate electrical loads across at least two distribution boards, one for grid power and one for renewable sources. This allows for better energy management and easier system integration.
3. Hire electricians who can read and interpret electrical drawings. Installation should follow a defined plan not guesswork.
4. Purchase cables from reputable vendors, the market is flooded with substandard cables, and studies show that over 80% of fire outbreaks in buildings are caused by cable failures, often due to undersized or counterfeit products.
5. Ensure proper earthing of the building to safeguard both lives and equipment.

It is always more cost effective to invest in quality from the beginning than to deal with expensive maintenance or catastrophic failures later.

I call on regulatory authorities to enforce the mandatory use of electrical designs and drawings in all construction projects. The rising incidents of electrical fires in buildings are deeply concerning and must be addressed with urgency.

We may not be there yet, but with collective responsibility and accountability, we can get it right.