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The Africa Smart Initiative for Her (ASI4Her) was founded in 2015 by Tijani during his volunteer work with VSO-Nigeria in Ikorodu, Lagos State. While coordinating community efforts, he observed a troubling rate of teenage pregnancies and began to investigate the underlying causes. His findings revealed that poverty in the low-income community forced young girls into early sexual encounters, as they sought money for clothing and other essentials.

Tijani shared these distressing insights with his friend Bilkees, a medical professional at ASK. Together, they started collecting used clothing from friends and family to distribute to rural communities. This initiative continued until 2017 when Tijani was appointed as a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for a VSO project in Ilesa, Osun State. During this role, he traveled through rural areas, which lacked basic amenities and required long journeys for any purchases.
While working in Ilesa, Tijani became curious about how local girls managed their menstrual health. He spoke with a young girl named Titilope, who shared the significant challenges they faced with menstruation at home and in school. Many girls missed school during their periods due to a lack of proper sanitary supplies, resorting instead to using leaves, rags, and tissue paper, which often led to embarrassment and mockery from their peers.

After completing his work in those communities, Tijani returned to Lagos and continued to ask questions in schools and neighborhoods. He was shocked to find that many girls and women across urban and rural Nigeria lacked basic knowledge about their menstrual cycles. Further investigations in Edo, Niger, and Nasarawa states revealed similar patterns, with menstrual blood regarded as taboo.

This collective experience inspired the creation of ASI4Her.
ASI4Her aims to empower and educate young women and girls about menstruation, encouraging them to stay in school during their periods and supporting out-of-school girls in returning to their education.