OpenAI’s ChatGPT has achieved a significant milestone, with 100 million weekly users, according to an announcement made by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman during the company’s first developer conference.

This achievement underscores ChatGPT’s remarkable growth since its API release in March, as well as its popularity among a diverse user base that now includes over two million developers and over 92 percent of Fortune 500 companies.

OpenAI’s announcement coincided with the unveiling of new features and models, including a platform designed for creating customized versions of ChatGPT tailored to specific tasks.

“Anyone can easily build their own GPT—no coding is required,” the company wrote in a release. “You can make them for yourself, just for your company’s internal use, or for everyone. Creating one is as easy as starting a conversation, giving it instructions and extra knowledge, and picking what it can do, like searching the web, making images or analyzing data.”

Additionally, OpenAI introduced GPT-4 Turbo, a model with knowledge of world events up to April 2023, capable of processing a substantial amount of text within a single prompt, equivalent to over 300 pages.

“We are just as annoyed as all of you, probably more, that GPT’s knowledge about the world ended in 2021,” Altman said in a speech Monday.

The enhanced capabilities of the GPT-4 Turbo extend its input capacity significantly. In contrast to previous iterations, which were constrained to around 3,000 words, the GPT-4 Turbo now accommodates inputs that can span up to 300 pages, enabling you to request comprehensive book summaries.

Furthermore, GPT-4 introduces support for DALL-E 3-generated AI images and text-to-speech functionality. Additionally, it boasts a selection of six predefined voices, offering you the flexibility to select from a diverse range of voices for receiving responses to your queries.

ChatGPT has earned a reputation as one of the fastest-growing consumer internet applications, garnering an estimated 100 million monthly users in just two months after its initial release nearly a year ago. Comparatively, social media giants like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram took significantly longer to reach 100 million users after their respective launches.

In March, Microsoft’s Bing search engine integrated generative AI features powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4, surpassing 100 million daily active users, marking a significant milestone more than a decade after its 2009 launch. While ChatGPT’s rapid growth was outpaced by Meta’s Threads, which reached 100 million users within a week of its July launch, Threads’ user base appeared to decrease in the months that followed, with just under 100 million monthly active users as of October.

OpenAI’s ChatGPT continues to maintain its popularity and growth, despite being less than a year old as a public service. While earlier estimates hinted at its widespread usage, today’s announcement from OpenAI provides an official data point to support ChatGPT’s ongoing success.

This announcement also serves as a response to recent media reports suggesting that ChatGPT’s popularity might be waning since its launch in November of the previous year. OpenAI aims to reinforce the platform’s continued strong performance and user engagement with these official statistics.

In a groundbreaking announcement at the Norman E. Borlaug Dialogue organized by the World Food Prize Foundation, the President of the Africa Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, revealed that Africa’s food and agricultural industry is projected to be worth an estimated $1 trillion by 2030.

Adesina highlighted the pivotal role of 34 African leaders who have given their endorsement to country food and agriculture delivery compacts. These compacts are instrumental in developing action-oriented plans with clear outcomes, aiming to ensure food security and unlock the full agricultural potential of the continent within a five-year timeframe.

“This development aligns perfectly with the central tenets of the Bank’s Feed Africa strategy, initiated in 2016,” Adesina emphasized, underscoring the Bank’s commitment to driving sustainable agricultural growth across the continent.

Since its inception, the Feed Africa strategy has provided vital support to over 250 million individuals, empowering them with enhanced agricultural technologies that have significantly improved their livelihoods.

Partnerships are playing a crucial role in this initiative, with pledges exceeding $70 billion in support of the food compacts. The AfDB itself is poised to contribute $10 billion over the next five years, further solidifying its commitment to the ambitious goals.

Adesina also highlighted the significance of the Dakar 2 project, which symbolizes the collective determination of African leaders to ensure the continent attains self-sufficiency in food production.

President Sahle-Work Zewde of Ethiopia, who was present at the Borlaug Dialogue, echoed the sentiment of African leaders, stating, “As African leaders, we are all committed to self-sufficiency in food production. Today, Ethiopia, for the first time in its history, is self-sufficient in wheat production and is a wheat exporter to its neighbors.”

Tackling the challenges

Despite these positive strides, challenges remain. Africa, possessing 65% of the world’s untapped arable land, still heavily relies on food imports. There is skepticism regarding the continent’s ability to achieve food self-sufficiency in the near future, given that nearly three-quarters of African governments have reduced their agricultural budgets while increasing spending on arms.

A report by humanitarian organization Oxfam International earlier this year revealed that in the past 12 months, over 20 million more people in Africa have been pushed into severe hunger, equivalent to the entire population of Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe combined. Currently, a fifth of the African population (278 million) is undernourished, and 55 million children under the age of five suffer from severe malnutrition.

Fati N’Zi-Hassane, Oxfam in Africa Director, pointed out, “The hunger African people are facing today is a direct result of inadequate political choices. In a year marred with global inflation and climate disasters, African leaders should have stepped up to their responsibility.”

Chronic underinvestment in agriculture is identified as a key factor contributing to the widespread hunger experienced in 2022. Oxfam reported that 48 out of 54 African governments allocate an average of only 3.8 percent of their budgets to agriculture, with some spending as little as one percent. Additionally, nearly three-quarters of these governments have reduced their agricultural spending since 2019, failing to honor their Malabo commitments to invest at least 10% of their budget in agriculture.

As the global population is projected to reach nine billion by 2050, the urgency for Africa to enhance agricultural productivity becomes increasingly apparent in order to meet the growing demand for food. The AfDB’s ambitious plans aim to address this pressing need, positioning Africa as a leading force in the global food and agricultural industry by 2030.

Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has strongly criticized the Supreme Court’s judgment of October 26, 2023, regarding the 2023 Nigeria Presidential Election, describing it as a breach of the confidence Nigerians have in the judiciary.

He made these remarks during a press conference in Abuja, where he delivered a statement titled “From Courtrooms to National Conscience: Our Democracy is the Victim.”

Obi, having his first press conference since the Supreme Court’s judgment, expressed his disappointment and concern, stating, “Without equivocation, this judgment amounts to a total breach of the confidence the Nigerian people have in our judiciary. To that extent, it is a show of unreasonable force against the very Nigerian people from whom the power of the Constitution derives.”

He expressed his disappointment in the court’s decision, which he believed ignored overwhelming evidence of election rigging, non-compliance with rules, and allegations of perjury and forgery. He criticized the court for not upholding constitutional qualifications for presidential candidates.

The former Anambra State governor stated that the Supreme Court’s ruling shattered the confidence of the Nigerian people in the judiciary and emphasized the need for a new Nigeria where things work, resources are managed prudently, and transparency and accountability are priorities. He acknowledged that, as the legal remedies have been exhausted, they would continue their mission for a better country and operate as an opposition party.

He criticized INEC for incompetence and the judiciary for disregarding constitutional principles and precedent. He stressed their commitment to constitutional values and their focus on promoting national interest, unity, and cohesion.

However, the Labour Party leader thanked Nigerians for their support and expressed his belief in the possibility of a new Nigeria based on character, competence, compassion, integrity, and respect for the rule of law. He vowed to persist in their journey toward a better future for the nation.

Read the full press briefing below:

Remarks at a Press Conference by Mr. Peter Gregory Obi, CON Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party on The Supreme Court Judgment of 26th October 2023 On the 2023 Nigeria Presidential election held in Abuja, FCT, on [Monday 6th November, 2023Protocols,

1.Fellow countrymen and women. Gentlemen of the Media, Good day, and welcome to this press conference. Kindly permit me to make some brief remarks on the recent ruling of the Supreme Court, the highest court in Nigeria.

2.About a fortnight ago, I was traveling abroad on a prior scheduled engagement when I received the notice that the Supreme Court would give judgment on Thursday 26th October 2023 on our challenge of the ruling of the Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPC). That judgment has since been delivered as scheduled. The leadership of the Labour Party has already pronounced its position on the judgment.

3.As someone who has previously benefited from the rulings of the Supreme Court on electoral matters, I have, after a period of deep and sober reflection, decided to personally and formally react to the recent judgment as most Nigerians have. Because we are confronted with very
weighty issues of national interest, I will speak forthrightly. As students young lads at CKC, Onitsha, we were taught values and admonished to always; “choose the harder right, instead of the easier wrong.”

4.Setting legal issues aside, the Supreme Court exhibited a disturbing aversion to public opinion just as it abandoned its responsibility as a court of law and policy. It is, therefore, with great dismay that I observe that the Court’s
decision contradicts the overwhelming evidence of election rigging, false claim of a technical glitch, substantial non-compliance with rules set by INEC itself as well as matters of perjury, identity theft, and forgery that have been brought to light in the course of this election matter. These were hefty allegations that should not be treated with levity. More appalling, the Supreme Court judgment willfully condoned breaches of the Constitution relative to established qualifications and parameters for candidates in presidential elections. With this counter-intuitive judgment, the Supreme Court has transferred a heavy moral burden from the courtrooms to our national conscience. Our young democracy is ultimately the main victim and casualty of the courtroom drama.

5.Without equivocation, this judgment amounts to a total breach of the confidence the Nigerian people have in our judiciary. To that extent, it is a show of unreasonable force against the very Nigerian people from whom the power of the Constitution derives. This Supreme Court ruling may represent the state of the law in 2023 but not the present demand for substantive justice.
The judgment mixed principles and precepts. Indeed, the rationale and premise of the Supreme Court judgment, have become clearer in the light of the deep revealing and troubling valedictory remarks by Hon. Justice Musa Dattijo
Muhammad, (JSC) on Friday 27th October 2023.

6.In disagreeing very strongly with the ruling of both the Presidential Petitions Court (PEPC) and the Supreme Court on the outcome of the 25th February 2023 Presidential election as declared by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as democrats who believe in the rule of law, we recognize that the Supreme Court is the end stage of the quest for legal closure to the matter. As a party and as candidates, Datti and I have now exhausted all legal and constitutional remedies available to us. However, this end is only another beginning in our quest for the vindication of the hope of the common man for a better country. After all, sovereignty belongs to the people! If only for historical purposes, it behooves us to place our disagreement with and deep reservations about this judgment on public record.

7.We have long been aware of how weak national institutions have negatively affected our democracy. This year 2023 has been quite remarkable and revealing.
INEC has displayed incompetence in the conduct of its statutory duty. The judiciary has largely acted in defiance of constitutional tenets, precedents, and established ground rules. Political expediency has preceded judicial responsibility. A mechanical application of technicalities has superseded the pursuit of justice and fairness. Both INEC and the Supreme Court as the referees, respectively shifted the goalposts in the middle of the game.

8.Where the value and import of the recent Supreme Court ruling ends is where
our commitment to a New Nigeria begins. Our mission and mandate remain unchanged. From the very onset, our mission has been more about enthroning a new Nigeria. It is a new nation where things work, where the country is led from its present waste and consumption orientation to a production-driven economy. Our commitment is to a nation anchored on the principles of prudent management of resources to quickly pull millions out of multidimensional
poverty, ensuring transparency and accountability in the equitable
distribution of opportunities, resources, and privileges. In the new Nigeria, we aim to address all unmet needs by showing compassion for all those left behind by the present system.

9.Going forward, we in the Labour Party and the Obidient Movement is now effectively in opposition. We are glad that the nation has heard us loud and clear. We shall now expand the confines of our message of hope to the rest of the country. We shall meet the people in the places where they feel pain and answer their needs for hope. At marketplaces, motor parks, town halls, board rooms, and
university and college campuses, we all carry and deliver the message of a new Nigeria. As stakeholders and elected Labour Party officials, we shall remain loyal to our manifesto. We will continue to canvas for good governance and focus on issues that promote national interest, unity, and cohesion. We will continue to give primacy to our Constitution, the rule of law, and the protection of ordered liberties. We will offer the checks and balances required in a functional democracy and vie robustly in forthcoming elections to elect those who share our vision of a new Nigeria.

10.Given our present national circumstances, there is a compelling need for a strong political opposition. We shall, therefore, remain in opposition, especially because of the policies and the governance modalities that we in the Labour Party campaigned for, especially reducing the cost of governance, moving the nation from consumption to production, reducing inflation, ending insecurity, promoting the rule of law, guaranteeing the responsibility to protect, and stabilizing the Nigerian currency; are not the priorities of the present administration nor is it interested in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

11.If there is one thing that has immensely gladdened my heart in the course of the struggle of the past 18 months, it is the passionate desire of our people, especially our young people from across ethnic and religious divides, to construct a new and restructured Nigeria that will work for all Nigerians. That goal remains my guiding light and abiding inspiration.

12.Finally, I thank all Nigerians who believed in what is now only a revolution postponed. We deeply appreciate the unalloyed non-partisan moral support millions of youth and ordinary Nigerians across ethnic, religious, and geopolitical divides have continued to give to Dr. Datti Baba-Ahmed and me.

13.We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Nigerians who have supported this mission from the onset? We salute the leadership and members of the Labour Party, the Obidient Movement, the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council, Nigerians in the Diaspora, Support Groups, and all people of goodwill who worked diligently and hoped for the realization of the beginnings of a New Nigeria in this election cycle.

14.Nigerians who supported our cause have done so out of patriotism and their sincere conviction that our nation requires and deserves dedicated and visionary leaders who will lead Nigeria toward a brighter future. The energy and dedication of Nigerian Youths and the Obedient Movement have been simply amazing. I appreciate and salute them! I want to assure them that this is not the end of our journey; but in fact, the beginning. Nigeria heard you. The world has taken note and will not forget so easily. We shall endure, and persist until we get to our destination because a new Nigeria is our destination. A destination, not an event.

15.We thank, in a special way, our legal team. We also thank our elder States-Men, whose wise counsel was immeasurable To them, we wish to state
unequivocally that this judicial outcome – an obvious misrepresentation of substantial justice – has by no means foreclosed the realization of a new Nigeria that is Possible.

16.On a personal note, I take personal pride and express gratitude to those who share our vision; and who have also exhibited rare courage to challenge the nefarious system, the genuineness of individuals’ identities and their defining
and qualifying particulars up to the highest extent allowed by law. Nigeria holds out hope of infinite possibilities leading to our desirable greatness. I remain consistent in my belief in the possibility of a new Nigeria built on character competence, capacity, compassion, integrity, and respect for the rule of law based on justice and fairness.