One thousand Clarias gariepinus fingerlings stocked at eighty fingerlings per tank were fed four types of artificial starter feeds: A (formulated starter feed, 45% crude protein (CP), B (Multi feed, 53% CP), C (Vital feed, 55% CP) and D (Aqua feed of 52% CP) and cultured for 30 days in twelve concrete tanks (1200 mm×1200 mm×1500 mm). Treatments were replicated three times, and fed at 5% body weight three times daily, under well monitored water parameters. There was no significance difference (p>0.05) in growth performance of C. gariepinus fingerlings. Multi feed recorded highest growth and percentage growth rate (PGR) in weight and length of 48.08 g (72.84%) and 16.60 cm (31.33%), followed by Aqua feed with 29.37 g (65.17%) and 14.88 cm (26.72%), Vital feed with 39.07 g (70.05%) and 15.04 cm (21.81%), formulated feed of 25.19 g (48.43%) and 11.40 cm (10.76%). Fingerlings fed Vital feed recorded highest survival count (77 survivors) and survival rate (96.25%), followed by formulated starter feed with 74 survivors (92.25%), Multi feed with 73 survivors (91.25%) and Aqua feed with 71 survivors (87.50%). Weight/length Correlation Coefficient (r) showed that Multi feed recorded highest (r) of 0.95, followed by Aqua feed (0.90), Vital feed (0.87) and formulated starter feed (87.50). C. gariepinus fingerlings need feeds of high CP at least 45% in their first 30 days of culture.Key Words: Diets, water quality, stocking density, growth parameter, Clarias gariepinus

This study examined the information needs, sources, information-seeking behavior of women artisans and the implications for empowerment in Offa, a semi-urban area in Kwara State of Nigeria. Survey research method was adopted with questionnaire as tool for data collection, involving 210 women artisans. Findings revealed that women artisans have information needs related to their work, but with information accessibility challenges due to unavailability of accessible information sources like libraries, as well as absence of empowerment programmes from government. It further revealed that the major sources of information for most women artisans were verbal or face-to-face mode of communications. The paper concludes that women constitute a vital asset of Nigeria and are a resourceful group with a good number practicing artisanship. Therefore, there is need to develop the information consciousness of the women artisans by the provision of efficient, effective and reliable formal information delivery mechanisms to them, such as community information centres.

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