Transparency  is  now  among  almost  all  governments’  priorities,  with  a  growing  number  of  countries that have recently adopted a law on access to administrative documents. In 2014, Paraguay even became the 100th state to pass a legislation on access to information (ATI). These  laws  do  not  provide  a  substitute  for  transparency;  however,  they  may  signal  the  willingness of public authorities to increase openness. So far, most studies have focused on states where laws on access to administrative documents already exist (mainly in Europe and North  America),  while  very  few  research  has  been  conducted  in  other  parts  of  the  world.  Based on previous research, this contribution presents the case of Benin in Western Africa: conditions of emergence, structures and obstacles in several states will be presented and then compared  with  the  current  situation  in  Benin.  Research  questions  concentrate  on  the  development of ATI, challenges to the introduction of a stronger law, and the administration’s main expectations towards transparency. Data were collected through interviews conducted with WANEP‐Benin (a coalition of civil society organisations), an official in charge of access to documents and several employees of the Beninese administration. Secondary data from past and  current  research  are  also  used  here.  Findings  show  the  influence  of  contextual  and  institutional differences on current transparency reforms, the importance of the issue of access and global awareness, and how the current approach towards access to administrative documents in Benin is influenced by the practices regarding transparency.