Uganda has been ranked amongst the top three countries with advanced technological and innovation capabilities on the continent, second to South Africa. So claims a New Vision report based on the findings of a study conducted by the Martin Prosperity Institute of the US.

The study focused on the performance of each nation with respect to research and development investment, scientific and engineering research and level of innovation.

Government officials have attributed the success to the countries tertiary education institutions that have fully embraced information and communication technology.

“Government’s policy towards ICT is also good. Accessing Internet is at low cost. The ministry is trying increase more infrastructure in this sector,” said ICT Minister, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda.

Dr. Rugunda also mentioned that the sector continues to attract foreign investment.

The report quotes Dr. Rugunda as saying, “Government is also determined to encourage more innovations. President Museveni has started innovation firms. Our challenge now is to ensure that every region in this country access internet at a low cost.”

According to the research, China, Brazil and India (which form part of the BRICS community) did not feature among the first five top nations, but are considered fast-growing economies that contribute significantly to the global economy.