The camel market at N'Guigmi is the most visible manifestation of the town's role as a trading crossroads for the nomadic peoples of the eastern Sahara. Toubou and Kanuri traders bring animals in from Chad and the surrounding desert; the bargaining is noisy and theatrical, the prices serious. The market also deals in goats, cattle, and the distinctive leather and metalwork — sharp-bladed knives in coloured scabbards — that the Toubou produce.
Market days follow a weekly cycle; ask locally for the current schedule. The market grounds are on the southern edge of town. Outside market days, the area is quiet, but you may still find traders and their animals camped nearby.